


Star Trek: Resistance (S1E1: The Captains)

by flyingghoti



Series: Star Trek: Resistance [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: 25th Century, Bajor, Bajoran Culture, Bajoran Wormhole, Canon-Typical Violence, Digital Art, Gen, Ignores Star Trek: Picard, Illustrations, Major Original Character(s), Mentions or Implies Death of Characters from Earlier Series, Nexus (Star Trek), No Star Trek: Picard Spoilers, Not Star Trek: Picard Compliant, Original Character-centric, Pax Foederationis, Pilot Episode, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Borg, Post-Canon Cardassia, Post-Canon Earth, Post-Dominion War (Star Trek), Post-Episode: s07e25 Endgame (Star Trek: Voyager), Post-Episode: s07e25 What You Leave Behind, Post-Movie: Star Trek Nemesis (2002), Post-Star Trek (2009), Post-canon Bajor, Prime universe, Screenplay/Script Format, Space Battles, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Spoilers, Star Trek: Picard Is Great but This Is Just Different, Star Trek: Voyager spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingghoti/pseuds/flyingghoti
Summary: It is 2410, and the events ofDS9andVoyagerhave reshaped the galaxy. At the dawn of the 25th century, almost every notable power throughout the galaxy has been affected by the Dominion War, the destruction of the Borg transwarp network at the Battle of Spatial Grid 986, and the loss of Romulus in the Great Supernova.The Federation, now the unchallenged great power of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, has entered a golden age. Chancellor Martok's long-overdue political reforms in the Klingon Empire have sparked a backlash from the warrior class. The Romulan Empire, now at their lowest point in two millennia after 13 years of catastrophe, has descended into a weak and paranoid police state. On Ferenginar, the pro-Nagus Femalist faction emerged victorious from a brutal economic civil war, leading to the rise of new female powerbrokers. The New Dominion has nominally emancipated the Vorta and embraced Odo's sense of order tempered by justice.And the Borg? Nearly destroyed by Species 8472, beset by two ex-Borg rebellions, hobbled by the loss of their transwarp network, infected by a neurolytic pathogen... but they are Borg. They adapt. They survive. And they have identified their greatest enemy.
Series: Star Trek: Resistance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704319
Kudos: 6





	1. Part 1, Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this some years ago, mostly to exorcise my own desires for more Star Trek in those sad and desperate years before Discovery and Picard were announced, and also so I'd have something ready if, you know, I ever got a cold call from Alex Kurtzman asking if I happened to have any Star Trek pilots on my person. The events of Disco only required minor changes to the work to maintain compatibility, since it's set so early in the timeline, but of course Picard totally ruined my continuity.
> 
> But I never stopped thinking about Resistance. And then, while honing my Blender skills recently for my [side project](http://charmcities.net/), I started thinking about illustrating a few scenes from it as practice. So I decided to do just that, and of course, having done so, it seemed like it was probably time to go ahead and share this with the world.
> 
> This entire first two-part episode is complete. I plan to release additional chapters maybe one a week, which means the story will unfold over about three months. I decided not to keep illustrating it for now - my limited Blender time is probably better spent on other work - but maybe I'll come back to it someday. If people are hungry for more after this, maybe I can be convinced to write another episode, or at least share the show bible.

Int. Triton transwarp hub personnel hangar

Inside the EVA hangar of Triton Transwarp Hub, the entry port for the Sol System. ANDRÉS LIN, a young male Human, waits alone in a full EVA suit, black with lumniescent stripes and insignia in operations gold. His flight partner, JAMILLA SAEED, a female Human, walks up to him in her own EVA suit, similar but striped in command red, carrying her helmet. The interior hangar door closes behind her. Both are enlisted Starfleet transwarp specialists. Lin's helmet is already on, but he can speak and hear through his suit's external speakers.

Saeed

Music man! Anything good on the playlist today, Lin?

Lin

You're going to love it. Starts out with a mid 20th century number from the dawn of electronic music.

Saeed grins as she fastens on her helmet.

Lin

Imagine, for the first time in Human history, not being limited by the sounds you can get out of wood or string or metal. And what does he write a song about? The thing we're about to do right now, half a millennium later.

Her helmet secure, Saeed checks a readout on her wrist. She speaks through speakers.

Saeed

Can't wait. Preflight is green, we're good to go. Do the honors, maestro.

Lin

Computer, begin playlist Lin 84039 and open external doors.

A SIREN blares as the forcefield raises and the doors open, revealing a spectacular view of the icy moon Triton below and Neptune beyond that, each half-lit by the distant sun. A smattering of lights in one of Triton's craters are visible as the sun sets over the moon's only permanent settlement, Tuonela City. [Jean-Jacques Perrey's "E.V.A."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqEz6PuQS08) begins to PLAY as Lin and Saeed engage their graviton thrusters and fly through the forcefield into open space.

Caption

Triton Transwarp Hub  
Orbiting Neptune  
Sol System, Sector 001  
January 11, 2410

original Blender artwork, using modified CC-BY licensed models —  
[astronaut](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/electroswing-b16232a3f1a443248f964492ab1dc151) by MyLootNowYT, [Neptune](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/neptuno-e66566d149ec47d8b1365bd5e03e9e82) and [Triton](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/triton-1353e6ceddff415ca9a70ecea070b74f) by unaipl2003, [space lab](https://www.trekmeshes.ch/meshes/meshesdetails.php?Name=REGULA1SPACELAB) by Rick Snider.

EXT. TRITON TRANSWARP HUB

Triton Hub itself is a relatively small station, no larger than a comms relay, in orbit around the moon. Its four-person crew is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the aperture of the Sol System's primary transwarp conduit, located nearby at the Neptune-Triton L2 point. The aperture itself is closed, and can be seen only as a faint shimmer in the stars where subspace has been repeatedly warped. Saeed and Lin fly away from the station at full speed. Lin can't help but dance a bit to the MUSIC which continues playing.

Saeed

Triton Hub Control, this is Routine EVA 84039. We are underway at full thrust. ETA to aperture 35 seconds.

Control (V.O.)

We have you on sensors, Specialist Saeed. Perform a full close-range subspace scan of the transwarp aperture and confirm no anomalous readings. All transwarp traffic has been halted and you have a 10 minute window.

Saeed

We'll be back in five, Control.

Control

Copy that. Andrés, I'm digging this track. Bring it along next time we head down to Tuonela City, okay?

Lin

Classics night at the 38K?

Control

It's a date!

Saeed

Lin, anything on sensors?

Lin checks his arm readout.

Lin

Uh, Control? I'm getting an verteron surge.

Control

We're seeing it too, hang on.

Saeed

If someone comes out of that aperture right now, they're going to smash right into my face.

Control

Probably just an anxious freighter captain revving their engines, Jamilla. We're increasing the strength of the antiverteron beam to maximum. Nobody's going to push through _that_.

Saeed

Copy, but I'm cutting the EVA short. When we get back, you can remind whoever it is what a 10 minute hold means.

Control

Agreed. Come on back.

Lin

I'm still getting verterons here, Control. I'm not sure the beam is...

With a blinding light, the aperture opens directly in front of Saeed. She is sent flying like a ragdoll into open space by the energy burst. Lin, slightly further away, has just enough time to see a massive flat wall of grey conduit and panels, three kilometers square: a Borg cube, only a few hundred meters away from him and getting larger by the moment. There is no escape; he will be flattened within seconds by a hundred billion tonnes of metal, and he knows it.

Lin

Oh shit.

The last notes of "E.V.A." PLAY.

original Blender artwork, using modified CC-BY licensed models — [astronaut](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/electroswing-b16232a3f1a443248f964492ab1dc151) by MyLootNowYT, [Borg cube](https://www.trekmeshes.ch/meshes/meshesdetails.php?Name=CUBE) by Maxpayn.  
special thanks to the [Sheep It!](https://www.sheepit-renderfarm.com/) render farm for speeding up the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I don't use the Glare node in the compositor this much most of the time, it just felt appropriate for the work.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	2. Part 1, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lura Kejal, a Bajoran, has just been appointed captain of the brand-new USS Lakarian City, a ship he hates. As far as he knows, his job is to survive the christening ceremony and then to set off on a tour of the Federation to demonstrate just how well the Federation's newest members, Bajor and Cardassia Prime, are getting along. Lura's not thrilled about life as a symbol, but, as he works through a bottle of kanar with his old friend Farok — the Cardassian captain of Lakarian City's sister ship Celestial Temple — Farok points out that any starship mission, even one whose main purpose is PR, will offer _some_ opportunity for excitement.
> 
> What neither know is that, while they were talking, thirty years of peace just came to an abrupt end, and the entire Federation is about to get more excitement than it was ready for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to take a break from illustrating these and instead focus on just getting them up for now. I may or may not come back and illustrate them later. Leave me a comment if you really want to see my vision for the truly ridiculous Friendship-class ships and it'll go higher up my priority list.
> 
> Look for the next installment next Friday!

EXT. STARBASE 901

Federation Starbase 901 -- formerly known as Deep Space 9 -- is, despite being over 60 years old, still the most important installation in the Bajoran system and the gateway to the Bajoran Wormhole. Even after being elevated to the status of Starbase, it retains its historic Cardassian gold color scheme rather the traditional Starfleet silver. One of the upper pylons is undergoing restoration. The USS Celestial Temple (NCC-91110), the first Federation starship built as a joint effort by Bajorans and Cardassians, is docked at another upper pylon. Just approaching the third pylon is Celestial Temple's sister ship, the USS Lakarian City (NCC-91111). Both the Celestial Temple and Lakarian City are of an entirely new starship design, synthesizing familiar Federation, Bajoran, and Cardassian design elements into a striking -- but not necessarily in a good way -- new look, with a small and angular saucer section reminiscent of a Galor-class's fins and a long streamlined neck leading into a spherical drive section with two nacelles coming forward along an elliptical arc. LURA KEJAL, the captain of the Lakarian City, is recording a log entry in voiceover.

Caption

Starbase 901  
Bajoran System, Sector 75129  
One hour earlier

Lura

Captain's log, stardate 84039.5. First entry. Today is Emissary Day, the anniversary of the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole, and it is my honor on this day to celebrate the official christening of the USS Lakarian City after her exemplary performance in her shakedown cruise. It's a day to celebrate, not just for the Federation, but for its two newest members, Bajor and Cardassia, who worked together to design this ship and her twin sister, the USS Celestial Temple. Less than forty years ago, my first officer Milos and I would have been bitter enemies; today, we proudly wear the same uniform.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

On board the USS Lakarian City, Captain Lura, a 41 (Earth) year old Bajoran wearing a Federation dress uniform, paces as his young Vulcan helmsman, Ensign SAMOK, brings the Lakarian City in to dock with Starbase 901. His first officer, a Cardassian Commander named TELOR MILOS, looks on, slightly amused. Milos wears the red forehead and neck makeup of the Cardassian third gender, which was suppressed under their former fascist government. Milos is also in dress uniform (with special tailoring for xir neck) and is -- unlike Lura -- wearing a Bajoran earring; xie is a believer in the Prophets. At the tactical station is Lieutenant JORO DERAM, a Bajoran woman, who also wears the earring.

Samok

Starbase 901 has confirmed our approach vector and clears us for docking.

Lura

Thrusters one-sixteenth.

Samok is taken aback; this is extremely low thrust.

Samok

One-sixteenth, sir?

Lura

No offense, ensign, but I don't want our paint scratched just yet.

Samok

Aye aye, sir. Thrusters at one-sixteenth power.

Milos

Take us in, Ensign Samok -- very, _very_ slowly.

INT. PROMENADE, STARBASE 901

Lura and Milos step out of an airlock and are greeted by Admiral FLETCHER, a Human woman, and by the Cardassian Captain FAROK of the USS Celestial Temple and his Bajoran first officer, Commander REQU. They are also all in dress uniforms.

Fletcher

Welcome to Starbase 901, Captain Lura, Commander Milos. Have you met your counterpart, Captain Farok of the USS Celestial Temple, and his first officer, Commander Requ?

Lura

Oh, Farok and I go back to the Academy. Good to see you again.

They grin and embrace. The five start walking along the Promenade, which is bustling with activity.

Farok

I think you still owe me a week's transporter credits, Kejal. It's a funny story, in fact -- we were on leave, and Kejal said he'd always wanted to visit Kinshasa...

Lura

Perhaps not the time or place for _that_ story, old friend.

Milos

I respectfully disagree, Captain.

Lura

Admiral, please tell me we have somewhere very urgent to be.

Fletcher

I'm afraid you're at liberty until the joint christening ceremony, which will be at 1800 hours.

They pass the Bajoran temple, which has a devotional statue of Emissary Benjamin Sisko outside, freshly decked with flowers and candles. A vedek is ringing the CHIMES; it is time for services. The Emissary Day services are very popular and crowded.

Milos

You're saved, Captain; I think I'll attend the Ha'mara services. Commander Requ, will you join me?

Requ nods, and the two of them head off to the temple.

Farok

Still an unbeliever, Kejal? I figured that by now staring into the empty void of space might have changed your mind.

Lura

If my mother couldn't, I'm not sure how space would manage. No, I celebrate Captain Sisko's legacy and everything he did for both of our planets, but I draw the line at veneration.

Farok

In that case, may I invite you both to join me at Leeta's? Best kanar in the system -- if you like kanar, that is. We can even raise a thoroughly secular glass to Captain Sisko in honor of the day.

Fletcher

Thank you, Captain Farok, but I'm needed in the wardroom. Enjoy yourselves -- though I would remind you that we need you both _standing_ for the christening ceremony.

Farok

Rest assured that we will comport ourselves like Starfleet officers in all of our activities, Admiral.

INT. LEETA'S BAR, STARBASE 901

Farok is at the dabo table, a glass of kanar in one hand. Lura stands near him, nursing his own glass of kanar as he watches. Farok has just won and the crowd is CHEERING.

Farok

_Dabo!_

Lura APPLAUDS half-heartedly, which Farok notices.

Farok

Come on, Kejal, have a spin! It's good for you.

Lura

Sorry, Farok, I never saw the appeal of a game you're guaranteed to lose eventually. Come on, let's grab a table while you're up.

Farok SIGHS, collects his winnings, and follows Lura away from the dabo table. As they walk, Lura bumps into a very large Nausicaan, who SNARLS at them. Lura steps back courteously and lets the Nausicaan pass.

But as the Nausicaan walks, still scowling at Lura, he jostles a female Ferengi -- petite even by Ferengi standards -- FESKA, a mercenary whose uniform and forehead tattoos indicate her to be a DaiMon of the Daughters of the River. She carries two Cardassian jassak daggers in her belt, long kukri-style blades with jevonite hilts. Feska turns and glares up at the Nausicaan.

Feska

Watch where you're going, tuskface!

Farok keeps walking, but Lura, seeing what's about to happen, tries to step in.

Lura

to Feska

That was my fault, DaiMon...

But the Nausicaan pushes Lura backwards and pulls a knife on the tiny Ferengi. This is a mistake. As he takes a slice at Feska's face, she blocks easily, grabs his wrist, and disarms him with a quick wrist strike. The Nausicaan BELLOWS in rage and pain and attempts to backhand her with his free hand, but Feska simply grabs his other hand, twists his arms so that the elbows lock against one another, and uses the lock to throw him. As he lies dazed on the ground, she kneels on his chest and aims a sharp strike at his temple, knocking him out in a single blow, before standing and returning to her drink. The whole fight has lasted only a few seconds.

Feska

to a passing waiter

I think my friend here needs to go to the Infirmary.

As a team of Human and Bajoran waiters attempt to move the massive Nausicaan -- it takes several of them -- Lura walks over to the table where Farok is waiting. An instrumental version of ["The Best Is Yet to Come"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-PJoeBIXC4) begins to PLAY.

Lura

Did you call security?

Farok

As soon as I saw her. They know all about DaiMon Feska. I'm surprised you don't.

Lura

I didn't run into the Daughters of the River very much on my last post. I knew Ferengi women were strong for their size, but I didn't think I'd ever see one throw a Nausicaan like a rag doll.

Farok

Feska could have been the new Nagol, but she's got a habit of picking fights with Nausicaans when it doesn't profit her sisters. If this weren't a Federation Starbase, he might not have made it to the Infirmary. Now, are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or just stare mournfully at your poor kanar, which wants only to be quaffed with joy?

He demonstrates.

Lura

Today is my thirteenth birthday.

Farok

Bajoran years are too long for my tastes. Even Earth years are pushing it. But hang on... you were born on the very day the wormhole was discovered?

Lura

That's me, the Ha'mara baby.

Farok

That's no reason for mourning. Prime numbers are lucky on Bajor, aren't they? And I thought Bajorans loved birthdays. No, there's something else you're not telling me.

Lura

Okay, I'll say it. I hate my ship.

Farok

Oh, I'm _so glad_ you said that. The Friendship-class is the single ugliest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen Humans naked.

Lura

It's not just the look, either. I mean, we're good captains, right? Not "a good Bajoran captain" and "a good Cardassian captain", just good captains. I feel like we're being asked to be _symbols_ instead of just captains, and I didn't sign up for that.

Farok

I did. I didn't want to, but I knew it was part of the job. The Detapa Council told us that before sending us to the Academy: "The twelve of you are going to be the first Cardassians there as Federation citizens. Your achievements are those of your entire species. So are your failures."

Lura

That's awful. I never really thought about the pressure you were under there.

Farok

Very literal pressure. Do you remember when we first arrived and they put the Cardassian students into standard cadet uniforms, with no special tailoring for the neck? My first day on an alien world, trying to fit in with people whose parents considered my parents war criminals, and I had to squeeze _this_...

indicates neck

...into a mock turtleneck. We all hated it, but none of us wanted Cardassians to be remembered as complainers. So we put up with the chafed scales and sore tendons for three months. Finally, I snapped; I went to the Commandant and told him it was ridiculous. He said, "son, I've been waiting to see which of you would come in here and say that, and I had a feeling it would be you. You're going to be a fine captain someday, Farok."

Lura

The Commandant was intentionally making you uncomfortable for months, just to see if you'd react? How did you not drop out then and there?

Farok

Ah, you forget: if I had, Cardassians would be remembered as quitters. So. Now it's our job to cruise the galaxy in our ugly ships and let everyone know that Bajorans and Cardassians are friends now. I don't think being a living symbol will demand our _full_ attention, do you? Surely there'll be _some_ room for intrigue and daring around the edges?

They are interrupted by the sound of a RED ALERT. Fletcher's voice comes over the intercom.

Fletcher

Any and all Starfleet and allied captains and flag officers, along with all senior consular staff, report to Ops immediately.

Farok raises an eyebrow.

Farok

And we haven't even christened the ships yet.

INT. OPS, STARBASE 901

Lura and Farok arrive in Ops. The area is clogged with Starfleet officers of all ranks and assorted civilians and others. Fletcher is standing up by her office, looking alarmed by the crowd.

Fletcher

Again, if you are not _specifically_ assigned to Ops, please clear this area! I am _not_ going to comment on rumors, but I _will_ give a station-wide briefing as soon as I've briefed senior officers.

Feska barges in, trailed by an overwhelmed SECURITY OFFICER, and pushes past Lura and Farok to yell at Fletcher.

Feska

I demand to be included! The Daughters of the River contract with the Federation, which makes _me_ an allied senior officer!

Security officer

Sir, she's needed in Security to answer questions about an incident at Leeta's Bar earlier.

Fletcher

She's in the same boat we all are, lieutenant, she can answer your questions later.

Feska shakes off the security officer and makes her way through the slowly thinning crowd, with Lura and Farok following close behind.

INT. STATION COMMANDER'S OFFICE, STARBASE 901

Fletcher's office is sparsely decorated; one of the few notable decorations is an old baseball in a glass case mounted on the wall. It is also cramped, with half a dozen Federation, Klingon, and other captains standing around. There are also diplomats from several powers, including the Romulans and the New Dominion, the latter represented by a Vorta named GEYAL. Feska, Farok, and Lura push in.

Farok

Exactly what "boat" were you referring to, Admiral?

Fletcher

A few minutes ago, four large fleets of Borg vessels emerged from transwarp near Earth, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar. They appear to be attempting a decapitation strike, eliminating all four Federation founding worlds at once. But this attack, if unchecked, will not end at the Federation border. Every world in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants is at risk.

Lura

Is a counterattack underway?

Fletcher

No reliable news yet. I know that the Khashayarsha is in the Sol System, and Captain Kasim is someone I'd want on my side in a fight. I also know that we've been preparing for this attack for forty years and that we have specific anti-Borg defenses in play. We're as ready for them as we could ever be. But the Borg are a formidable enemy, and if the reports I'm hearing are right, their fleets are substantial: maybe 15, 20 cubes in the Sol System alone.

Geyal

Admiral Fletcher, as a representative of the New Dominion, I offer my deepest sympathies. I cannot speak on behalf of the Founders, of course, but I will gladly relay a request for assistance to their attention should you wish to move your refugees to the Gamma Quadrant.

Fletcher

I appreciate the offer, Ambassador Geyal, but the wormhole won't stop the Borg. Trying to move billions of refugees to the Gamma Quadrant will tie up half the fleet, and for what? To buy a few months before the Borg are ready to take on the Dominion -- who are, if you'll forgive my candor, in no fit shape for a fight with the Borg? No, every ship with so much as a single laser cannon is needed here, in the Alpha Quadrant, fighting the Borg. There is no Plan B.

Fletcher's communicator CHIRPS; she taps it to activate it. It is the STARBASE CHIEF OF OPS.

STARBASE CHIEF OF OPS

Sir, there's a message coming in to all Federation and allied worlds and outposts.

Fletcher

Patch it through in here.

There is a shimmer as a hologram appears in the middle of the room. After a moment, it resolves into the form of KATHRYN JANEWAY, a Human Admiral in her 80s -- though she is spry and looks young for her age, thanks to 25th century medicine. She is seated in a captain's chair and holds a cup of coffee.

Janeway

This is Admiral Kathryn Janeway, commander of the Borg Special Task Force. By now you have probably heard reports of Borg incursions into sectors 001, 005, 006, and 007. These reports are accurate, and given the size of the Borg fleets -- and what we know of Borg tactics and capabilities -- there is no reason to believe our defenses will hold them off for more than a matter of hours.

Several people GASP. Fletcher sinks heavily into her chair.

Janeway

This news may come as a shock, but we have been preparing for a strike of this nature and magnitude for decades. Rest assured that countermeasures are being assembled. The Federation will not end today. But we need your assistance to ensure that the threat does not spread. Under Special Directive 9047 issued by the Federation Council on stardate 77980, the admiral in charge of the Borg Special Task Force is authorized to take direct command of all Federation assets in the event Earth comes under direct assault from the Borg. You are ordered not to make any effort to join the defense of Earth, Vulcan, Andor, or Tellar. Instead, you are ordered to immediately proceed to the transwarp conduit serving your system and destroy it. The Borg are using our own conduit network against us and we have reason to believe there may still be Borg in transwarp space.

Fletcher

Lura, Farok, destroy that conduit!

Farok

Yes sir!

Lura presses his communicator as they leave the office.

Lura

All crew of the USS Lakarian City and USS Celestial Temple, report back to your ships and prepare for immediate departure!

INT. READY ROOM, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

In the ready room of the Borg Special Task Force command module, Janeway sits in her chair, holding her coffee, just as we saw her last. The ready room is decorated with Andorian art. A red alert light flashes. A spotlight illuminates her. Standing over her shoulders are her personal physician, a Human lieutenant named JAMES LEE, and a civilian scientist, a female El-Aurian named MAILA.

Janeway

Computer, begin message encryption, for eyes of Starfleet officers ranked captain and above only.

Computer

Encrypted channel open.

Janeway

My fellow officers: I have some things to add to my public message that must remain between us for now. We are facing a full-scale invasion. Indeed, we have reason to believe that the Borg have committed their entire fleet to the conquest of the Federation. Our last interaction with the Borg nearly destroyed them; this may well be everything they can throw at us. If we can stop them, the greatest threat to the security of the entire galaxy will be gone. If we fail, though, the Borg will turn our technology and our people against us, and will become more powerful than ever. This is all or nothing: for them, and for us.

She sips on her coffee.

Janeway

There is a way to stop them. It is a horrible solution. But it is a solution. It requires a change in our thinking greater than any you've ever been asked to make before. We have always believed it was our duty to preserve spacefaring civilizations. But I'm asking you, instead, to focus on preserving civilization itself. Dr Maila, my head of research, will explain.

Maila steps forward. The spotlight changes from Janeway to Maila to indicate that she is transmitting. She gestures, and a display screen appears next to her. The screen displays a single Greek letter: Omega. It morphs into an image of the Omega molecule.

Maila

The Omega molecule is among the most terrifying natural phenomena known to Federation science. A single molecule emits as much energy as a warp core. And the last time Federation researchers attempted to create it, the resulting accident destroyed subspace throughout an entire sector.

The screen changes to show a map of the Lantaru Sector. Disruptions in subspace are visible.

Maila

The Lantaru Sector is now inaccessible by warp or transwarp drive. Faster-than-light communication in and out of the sector is also impossible. It is entirely cut off from the remainder of the galaxy. We are proposing that we do the same thing -- intentionally -- to the planets currently under Borg attack. This will cut off the Borg from their collective intelligence and will make subspace communication, warp, and transwarp impossible for a radius of up to four light years.

Maila nods to Janeway, and the spotlight switches back to the admiral.

Janeway

For nearly two centuries, there was one Federation law which outweighed even the Prime Directive: that the Federation would take any means necessary to prevent experimentation with Omega molecules by any species. That directive is now suspended. Dr Maila has created a device capable of synthesizing and detonating a single Omega molecule. We are preparing to do so now on Earth, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar; we are delaying only to give the maximum possible time for evacuation. This is not a decision I take lightly. When those devices detonate, the heart of the Federation will become a no-man's land -- barring some new breakthrough, practical travel to and communication with the affected areas will be impossible. But, at the same time, the invading Borg will not be able to assimilate our homeworlds. That's the best I can hope for. The Federation will survive. Our actions today will ensure it. Janeway out.

The spotlight dims.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I propose that [holo-communicators](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Holo-communicator) in 2410 are basically like video calling in the 2010s; the technology's been there for ages but society wasn't really ready yet. Even in 2410, when Starfleet is once again pushing for their wide adoption, I assume a lot of people don't like them much. At least you don't have to put pants on for a video call. I decided to use the mechanism of the spotlight to indicate who was speaking at any given time, which helped, but in truth good old-fashioned viewscreens are a lot easier to write scenes for.
> 
> [Omega molecules](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Omega_molecule) were introduced in VOY S4E21, "[The Omega Directive](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Omega_Directive_\(episode\))". Hopefully I do a good enough job here explaining what they are, but if you want more background, that's where to go.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	3. Part 1, Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lakarian City and Celestial Temple rush to destroy the newly built transwarp conduit that connects Bajor, Cardassia, and the other rimward systems to the heart of the Federation.
> 
> Meanwhile, the USS Khashayarsha and the USS Pickle have engaged the Borg fleet over Jupiter. Their weapons are the work of four decades of preparation against this very threat. But the Borg have had just as long to prepare for their preparations...

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura, Milos, Samok, Joro, and the bridge crew of Lakarian City prepare for departure from the starbase. The ship is at yellow alert.

Lura

Disengage docking clamps. Thrusters full reverse.

Samok

Docking clamps disengaged. Thrusters at reverse, full power. We're clear of the pylon, sir.

Lura

Set course for the Bajoran aperture of Conduit 47. Maintain formation with Celestial Temple.

Milos

Lieutenant Joro, prepare two low-yield pulse wave torpedos.

Joro

Torpedos armed, yield 12 isotons each.

Milos

Well, captain, we should certainly be able to destroy the conduit -- but I can't guarantee we won't scratch the paint.

EXT. BAJORAN APERTURE, CONDUIT 47

Celestial Temple and Lakarian City enter the transwarp conduit at full impulse.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY - CONTINUOUS

Milos

Celestial Temple is hailing us, Captain Lura.

Lura

Put him through.

A faint spotlight appears over Lura and, simultaneously, a hologram of Farok appears in the middle of the bridge.

Farok

Well, Kejal, I certainly hope that all of our weapons systems were installed correctly.

Lura

As I recall, the defensive systems were installed by a Cardassian team.

Farok

Ah, we should be fine, then.

Lura pulls up a star chart on a floating screen and points to it.

Lura

Recommend we detonate the conduit here, halfway between Bajor and the Koralis system. Should limit the risk of bystanders getting caught in the explosion but still give us plenty of time to escape before it collapses.

Farok

Looks good.

he looks at no one we can see

Requ, set coordinates.

Milos

Two minutes from detonation point, Captain Lura.

Joro

Captain, I've got an incoming transmission.

Lura

Hang on, Farok...

to Joro

Admiral Fletcher?

Joro

No sir, it's from a Bajoran ship in the conduit.

Lura

In the conduit? Put them through, Joro.

Joro

Uh... stand by, captain... sorry, sir, it's the first time we've used the holoconference mode.

A hologram of a terrified looking Bajoran FREIGHTER CAPTAIN appears next to Farok.

Freighter captain

This is Captain Jema of the Bajoran freighter Uranaki. Do not detonate the conduit! We are still inside and we have a Borg cube in pursuit!

Farok

Starbase 901 ordered all ships out of the conduit!

Freighter captain

We were about to exit at the Koralis aperture, but then we saw the cube, and we knew they'd chase us!

Lura

What do the Borg want with an old freighter? It's Bajor they're after, you fool, and you've put it at risk!

Freighter captain

You've got two warships! You can fight the Borg off! Don't destroy the conduit!

Lura

We'll discuss our options. Joro, get him out of my sight!

The hologram disappears, leaving only Farok.

Farok

Our mission is to destroy the conduit. If we do our job, the cube will be destroyed when the conduit collapses.

Lura

And the freighter!

Farok

The freighter that _should_ have exited at Koralis as ordered!

Lura

Yes, they should have. But they didn't. And now we need to save their lives. Joro, how fast can that freighter go?

Joro

Transwarp factor three, sir.

Lura

Transwarp three... not fast enough to outrun a Borg cube, but maybe _just_ fast enough to outrun a collapsing conduit.

Farok

You have the unmistakable look of a man who's very proud of a terrible plan.

Lura

How about it, Farok? Care to give the wheel a spin?

Farok

A wise man once told me, Kejal, that in a game of dabo, you're guaranteed to lose eventually. The real skill is quitting at the right time.

He SIGHS theatrically, then speaks towards offscreen.

Farok

Engineering, divert all power to transwarp drive. We need to get to that freighter before the cube does.

to Lura

You owe me a tall kanar, Captain.

His hologram disappears.

Lura

Red alert! All hands, prepare for combat!

The alarm KLAXONS sound.

EXT. RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE, LUNA

Inside the moon's Mare Imbrium, in the shadow of Mons Huygens, is a small building with a pressure dome on top: the Borg Special Task Force (BSTF) Resistance Command Module. In the background, the crescent of the Earth can be seen.

Caption

Borg Special Task Force  
Mare Imbrium, Luna  
Sol System, Sector 001

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

The command center for the Borg Special Task Force remains at RED ALERT. It is laid out much like the bridge of a starship, with stations lining the walls and a central commander's chair. Next to each station is mounted a TR-118 projectile rifle. WALLY ARGALL, a Human male Starfleet officer, is at one of the forward stations. Other supernumeraries staff the other stations. Janeway walks out of her ready room into the command center, with Maila and Lee following. Maila walks to a science console; Lee stands near her.

Janeway

Lieutenant, tell me you've made contact with Captain Shar.

Argall

No, Admiral. I've put in a priority one request to Andoria, but so far they haven't been able to locate him _or_ Commander Tholor.

Janeway

Of all the days for the Andorian Summer Festival... what's the status of Earth Defense?

Argall

The Mars Defense Perimeter has been activated and is preparing to engage the Borg over Jupiter. Admiral Kuti plans to use them to harry the Borg and break their formation, allowing the the USS Pickle and USS Khashayarsha to pick off cubes one at a time.

Dr Lee leans in to WHISPER to Maila.

Lee

I know the Khashayarsha, but... the USS Pickle?

Maila

It's a Bolian ship; I believe in their language, it translates roughly to "beyond comparison".

Lee

Huh. Let's hope it's well named.

Janeway interrupts.

Janeway

Dr Maila, what's the status of civilian evacuation?

Maila

Every ship in system has been commandeered and the first wave is being transported up. I'm working on a best heading for system exit based on current tetryon wave patterns.

Argall

Admiral, if I may -- what if we don't need the Omega device? We've had 40 years to prepare our defenses against the Borg. We've never been more ready.

Janeway

Unfortunately, they've had 40 years to prepare for our preparations. They'll adapt, Wally; it's what they do. All our defenses can hope to do is buy the evacuation fleet time. Are we ready here?

Argall

All crew is aboard and all systems are ready for departure, Admiral.

Janeway

Launch.

EXT. RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE, LUNA

Thrusters on the pressure dome fire soundlessly, and the top several floors of the building, which is actually a self-contained mobile command module, lift off the side of the moon and up into space.

EXT. ABOVE JUPITER

The red marble of Jupiter is visible in the background as the Khashayarsha and Pickle approach a pair of Borg cubes at full impulse. Neither is specifically a warship, but neither is a stranger to a fight; Khashayarsha is a brand-new Marvel-class (the 25th century successor to the Excelsior) while Pickle is an older but recently refitted Intrepid-class. Like any starships serving on planetary defense in Sector 001, they're armed with anti-Borg weaponry -- and they're using it.

Pickle fires a volley of transphasic torpedos, which rip into one of the two cubes, destroying it. The other cube gets Khashayarsha in a tractor beam, but Khashayarsha returns fire with multiharmonic phasers. The phasers disable the beam almost immediately, and a volley of torpedos destroys the cube.

INT. BRIDGE, USS KHASHAYARSHA

Aboard the spacious and modern bridge of the Khashayarsha, Captain KASIM looks calm and confident, despite the red alert. Two cubes are down, after all, and with very little effort. A three-dimensional holographic battle display showing the locations of all involved ships fills the space in front of him.

Kasim

Damage report?

Tactical

Shields at 85% and charging. Ablative armor undamaged.

Kasim

Excellent. Helm, set to intercept the next cube.

Helm

Aye sir.

Kasim

Recalculate multiharmonic phaser frequencies and prepare another volley of transphasic torpedos.

Tactical

Phaser frequences reset; torpedos armed and ready.

Kasim

Have Pickle form up abeam and prepare to engage. Hail the Borg.

The ops officer opens a channel. On screen, we see the great echoing chambers of a Borg cube and hear the familiar chant of the BORG COLLECTIVE.

Collective

We are the Borg. Lower your shields, disable your armor, and surrender your ships. We will add your technological and biological distinctiveness...

Kasim

interrupting

Yes, yes, we know. Except we just destroyed two cubes without breaking a sweat, so I think maybe our technological and biological distinctiveness aren't going anywhere today.

Collective

We are the Borg. We adapt. We evolve. We move towards perfection. Resistance is futile.

Kasim

You will leave Sector 001 immediately. All other Borg ships in the Alpha Quadrant will stand down. Starfleet will escort you to the border of Federation space, where you will set a course for the Delta Quadrant and can move towards perfection in your own space. Do you understand?

Collective

We understand your terms. We do not accept. Our terms are as follows: your Federation will surrender unconditionally. Your civilizations will allow themselves to be assimilated. Your cultures will adapt to service us. Your...

The captain makes a "kill" hand gesture and the transmission is cut off.

Kasim

Time to weapons range?

Tactical

Thirty seconds.

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

Aboard her command vessel, the BORG QUEEN -- part biological, mostly mechanical -- stands watching her own three-dimensional hologram of the unfolding battle with a look of mild curiosity. Khashayarsha and Pickle are moving in on another cube. Borg symbols hover in midair next to each ship.

Queen

Analysis of their weapons?

Collective

Torpedos employing transphasic technology. Multiharmonic phaser systems. Ablative armor. Trimatrix shielding.

Queen

I'm disappointed. I thought they would have come further by now. Adjust phase variance of shielding using a transrecursive algorithm.

In the hologram, we see Khashayarsha and Pickle both fire torpedos at the cube, but it is not destroyed, only damaged.

Queen

Refine the algorithm. Increase weapon frequency by 1.2 kilohertz and fire at the third stage of shield cycling.

INT. BRIDGE, USS KHASHAYARSHA

The bridge shakes mightily and power flickers as the blast hits.

Kasim

Report!

Tactical

85% of the cube is inoperable but its weapons are still functioning. That last shot took our shields down to 20%, Captain.

Kasim

Then let's get the other 15%, lieutenant! Phasers, full spread!

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

The Queen watches impassively as the hologram of the Khashayarsha hits the cube with a broadside of phasers until it explodes.

Queen

Refine the algorithm. Increase weapon frequency by 643 hertz.

INT. BRIDGE, USS KHASHAYARSHA

Another blast hits the ship. A panel explodes in a shower of sparks.

Tactical

Shields are down, sir! Ablative armor is at 30%.

Kasim

Engineering, I need warp power to the shield emitters.

Tactical

Shields coming back online, sir. They're holding at 3%.

Kasim

Rotate phaser frequencies. Remodulate shields. Switch to attack pattern lambda-7. If they can adapt, we can adapt.

Tactical

Yes sir!

Kasim

Helm, set course 024 mark 087, full impulse. We'll hit them hard and fast from below with everything we've got.

EXT. ABOVE JUPITER

Pickle engages a fourth and fifth cube with a heavy volley of torpedos, while Khashayarsha comes in from underneath, phaser cannons blasting at full strength. The cubes are damaged but not crippled and return fire. One of the cubes locks a tractor beam on Pickle, and a slicing beam cuts off one of her warp nacelles. The heavily damaged Khashayarsha targets the cube's tractor emitter and fires hopelessly, but to no avail.

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

Janeway watches her own holographic simulation of the battle. Dr Lee stands next to her.

Janeway

Damn, they got the Pickle! She was a good ship.

Lee

An Intrepid-class ship was never a match for two Borg cubes at once.

Janeway gives him an annoyed glance.

Janeway

Thank you for your expert tactical opinion, Doctor. Maila, get me the captains.

Holograms of Captain Kasim and the BOLIAN CAPTAIN of the Pickle appear in the middle of the ongoing battle simulation. Both are looking rough. The Bolian is bleeding blue from a nasty cut over her temple.

Kasim

Admiral Janeway. This isn't the best time.

Janeway

I'll keep it brief. Target everything you have on grid square C-49-35. There's a distribution node there that should cut power to the tractor beam for just a few moments. It won't be much, but it might give the Pickle one last chance.

BOLIAN CAPTAIN

Thank you, Admiral. We'll show these Borg fröderiiks what Starfleet is capable of.

She salutes and the two holograms disappear. Lee turns to Janeway.

Lee

Admiral, that intelligence about the distribution node will only work once. The Borg will adapt to remove that vulnerability.

Janeway

I'm well aware of that, Dr Lee.

Lee

So what was the point of wasting that hard-won intelligence on a doomed ship? The Pickle can't even form a stable warp field with one nacelle cut off. They'll never escape the system before the Omega detonation even if they retreat.

Janeway

I didn't hear myself give a retreat order, Doctor.

EXT. ABOVE JUPITER

Khashayarsha makes another pass on the two Borg cubes, pushing them tightly together before targeting all its firepower on a single spot on the cube holding the Pickle. The tractor beam falters for a moment just as Pickle's impulse engines flare brightly with an enormous burst of energy. As Khashayarsha pulls away, Pickle accelerates at maximum speed and collides with the nearest cube, sending it smashing into the other and destroying both.

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

The blinding light from the explosion temporarily overwhelms the holoemitters, which flicker out for a moment. Janeway is the only one who doesn't look away.

Janeway

What you just saw was 147 Federation citizens prepared to do their duty at any cost. Do not forget that sight.

Lee

A suicide run. A ship crewed by Bolians, making a _suicide_ run!

Janeway

You're a good doctor, James, but you have a lot to learn about Starfleet if that surprises you.

The hologram flickers back into place. Three more cubes have moved to flank Khashayarsha, which is clearly in a bad way; its armor is heavily damaged and it's venting plasma from one of its nacelles.

Maila

Admiral, I have telemetry from Khashayarsha. Their shields are down, weapons are inoperative, ablative armor is at 5%, there are hull breaches on ten decks, and they're being boarded by drones.

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

The Queen watches as Khashayarsha accelerates to full impulse towards one of the cubes.

Collective

Marvel-class vessel Khashayarsha is on a collision course with cube 2734. Its autodestruct sequence has been engaged. Warp core breach is imminent.

Queen

Let it breach. Refine collision protocol based on data from the previous ship.

Khashayarsha explodes as it impacts one of the cubes.

Collective

Vessel destroyed. Cube 2734 damaged.

Queen

Engagement report.

Collective

Five vessels lost, three damaged. Contact lost with 263,152 drones. New vulnerability identified in tractor beam emitter has been assigned issue number V-TE-241D. All resistance in Spatial Grid 1026 has been eliminated.

Queen

Assemble the fleet at the fifth planet. Repair damage. Redesign tractor beam emitters to eliminate vulnerability V-TE-241D. Continue analysis of Federation defenses. Accelerate maturation of drones in incubation. Prepare for the assimilation of Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite ever facts: there have been no less than eight Royal Navy ships named the [HMS Pickle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Pickle). The first one was purchased against specific Admiralty orders and originally named Sting by the admiral who bought it, but when the Admiralty heard about it they were like, "fine, we won't make you give up the ship, but we _will_ make you call it the Pickle". But then she turned out to have such an illustrious career, including delivering the news of the victory at Trafalgar(!), that a bunch of later ships got named after her. [I am not making any of this up.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Pickle_\(1800\)) Anyway, pickle meaning "beyond comparison" in Bolian is not canon, but the expletive fröderiik [is](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Frederick).
> 
> Most of the anti-Borg weaponry of the 25th century is similar to that introduced in the Voyager finale, "[Endgame](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Endgame_\(episode\))", in which it was developed in one possible 2404. It's obviously been refined and improved in the interim, but for whatever reason Starfleet doesn't seem to have introduced any entirely new anti-Borg weapons since the events of "Endgame". How curious.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	4. Part 1, Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Borg are on the move again, headed towards Earth. But Admiral Janeway has something up her sleeve. Meanwhile, Lura and Farok face off against a Borg cube of their own.

EXT. TRANSWARP SPACE, CONDUIT 47

Inside the transwarp conduit, Celestial Temple and Lakarian City are approaching the freighter Uranaki, which is being chased closely by a Borg cube.

Celestial Temple and Lakarian City put themselves between the freighter and the cube and make a hard 180 degree turn. The cube attempts to lock onto Lakarian City with a tractor beam, but Lakarian City dodges it.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

The bridge tilts as Lakarian City moves faster than the inertial dampers can compensate. Captain Lura, who is standing, grabs onto Ensign Samok's shoulder to steady himself.

Lura

Too close, Samok!

Samok

Understood, Captain. I will attempt to keep us out of range of their tractor beam.

Lura

Lieutenant Joro, load the pulse wave torpedos into the aft launcher. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to get out of here quickly. Milos, get me Farok.

A hologram of Farok appears on the bridge.

Farok

That was a nice dodge, Captain.

Lura

I've got a good helmsman. Are you ready to finish this?

Farok

I'd be delighted. But the cube will shoot down our torpedos unless we can get their attention.

Lura

I think we can do that. We'll have to push past the transwarp drive specs to make it happen.

Milos

Captain, when we made our turn I read a 0.5% misalignment in our transwarp coils. I noted it for later repair, but...

Lura

Damn! Engineering, I need an idea for how to realign the transwarp coils while in flight.

Farok

Don't bother, Kejal. I've got perfectly aligned coils and I don't want you to have all the good stories when we're bragging at Leeta's later. Prep your torpedos. You're buying the drinks.

Farok disappears.

EXT. TRANSWARP SPACE, CONDUIT 47

Celestial Temple breaks formation with Lakarian City and fires a volley of transphasic torpedos at the cube. The cube appears undamaged, but its attention is now on Celestial Temple. It attempts to catch it in a tractor beam twice and misses twice as Celestial Temple dodges and weaves, firing another volley of torpedos. Lakarian City fires two pulse wave torpedos, which diverge outwards and head for the walls of the transwarp conduit. But at that moment, Farok's luck runs out as the cube snags it with a tractor beam.

A moment later, the pulse wave torpedos detonate behind the cube and the conduit begins to collapse. The cube, caught up in the explosion, drops its tractor beam, freeing Celestial Temple. The Uranaki, Lakarian City, and Celestial Temple all race away at maximum transwarp as the conduit collapses behind them, but Celestial Temple is well behind the others and is having difficulty staying ahead of the collapsing conduit.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Joro

Captain Lura, Celestial Temple is too close to the implosion. They can't outrun it.

Lura

Prepare for an emergency beam-out of her crew.

Milos

Sir, no one has ever used transporters inside a transwarp conduit.

Lura

First time for everything, Milos! We have two almost identical ships, that will help. Samok, match Celestial Temple's transwarp velocity _exactly_.

Samok

I will do my best, sir.

Lura

I don't want your best, Ensign, I want you to succeed.

Samok

That is not a logical response, Captain. Success is only possible if it is within my capacity...

Lura

Do your best, then! Milos, can you raise Farok?

Milos

They're too close to the edge of the implosion, Captain; there's too much interference. That interference will also affect our transporters.

Lura

That doesn't mean we can't try it!

Joro

Celestial Temple is losing speed, sir, and falling into the implosion.

Lura

Beam them out! Beam everyone out!

EXT. TRANSWARP SPACE, CONDUIT 47

As the conduit collapses, Celestial Temple is caught in the shock wave and is destroyed instantly. Lakarian City and the Uranaki continue on.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura

Did we get them?

pause

Milos, did we get them?

Milos

I'm sorry, Captain. We tried a wide-area transport, but the interference...

Lura sits heavily in the captain's chair.

Samok

We will reach normal space in two minutes, sir. We should remain clear of the shock wave, as will the Uranaki.

Lura

Understood, Samok. Maintain course and speed.

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

The command module is quiet; Janeway and Lee are not there. Wally Argall is at the helm. Maila is at the science console nearby. Argall looks nervous and keeps sneaking looks back at the tactical hologram showing Jupiter with ten Borg cubes in high orbit.

Argall

What are they doing? Why aren't they doing anything?

Maila

Do you _want_ them to do something, Lieutenant?

Argall

No, but... they have a clear path to the inner system. Why are they hanging around Jupiter?

Maila

The Borg never move faster than they have to. As long as they don't know about the Omega device, they'll be in no rush; they'll regroup, repair their ships, and analyze everything they just learned about our defenses.

Argall

But they're ignoring the evacuation fleet entirely.

Maila

The carrying capacity of the evacuation fleet is a little over 2.5 million. There are 7 _billion_ people in the Sol system. Why would they...

She is distracted by something on her screen. She stands up.

Maila

Excuse me, Wally.

INT. READY ROOM, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

Janeway is sitting at the desk drinking a coffee, with Dr Lee hovering over her looking concerned. The door CHIMES.

Janeway

Come in.

The door opens; Maila is standing there.

Janeway

Ah, Maila, come in. Dr Lee was just reminding me that I'm too old to drink coffee. It's very helpful; I tend to forget that I'm old without his nagging.

Lee

I've never understood why the entire Starfleet command structure is built on caffeine addiction, but it's unhealthy at any age, Admiral, and my duty as your physician...

Janeway

Dr Maila, will you _please_ explain to the good doctor why today is _not_ the day for me to consider quitting?

Maila

Admiral, the Borg are landing on Trill.

Janeway puts the coffee down.

Janeway

Already? I thought we had more time. Are they preparing an Omega molecule?

Maila

They were making preparations as of half an hour ago, but I can't reach anyone at the Trill Science Ministry. They may have been too late.

Janeway

Can you give me any good news?

Maila

The only Trill who were working on the Omega molecule are joined to a symbiont, and the Borg have never assimilated a Trill symbiont before. Their biology is unique enough that it's likely that the Borg won't learn about our plans for an Omega detonation before we're ready.

Janeway

Dr Maila, that's the worst good news I've ever heard.

Maila

The Borg still haven't moved on Earth. The evacuation fleet is at 65% capacity. And we're arriving at Saturn.

Janeway

Better. Let's go see our baby.

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

Janeway walks out of the ready room into the command center, coffee in hand, with Lee behind her. Maila crosses to her science station. The rings of Saturn fill the viewscreen.

Janeway

Lieutenant, take us into a low orbit around the eighth moon. Put it between us and the Borg.

Argall

Aye, Admiral.

EXT. ABOVE IAPETUS

The command module swoops low over the equatorial bulge of Saturn's moon Iapetus. As it comes up over the dark side of the moon, a ship in low orbit DECLOAKS. It is the USS Resistance (NX-81511), the single most unique ship in Starfleet, and a ship designed specifically to counter a Borg invasion.

For practical reasons, Resistance is more compact than most Federation ships; it lacks both the classic "neck" and the warp pylons of typical Starfleet designs. Instead, the primary and secondary hulls are joined; the forward sections hint at the oblong curve of the Intrepid-class's saucer, but then it merges seamlessly into the stardrive section. The sharply angular nacelles are also not separated from the ship, but instead wrap tightly around the stardrive section, giving a the warship a suitably menacing quality.

Its top three decks are missing; the command module will fit into that spot.

INT. COMMAND CENTER, RESISTANCE COMMAND MODULE

Janeway grins as she sees the ship uncloak.

Janeway

Lieutenant Argall, prepare for reintegration.

Argall

Handshake established. Preparing for reconnection sequence.

Maila

They're hailing, Admiral.

Janeway

Put them through.

Lt Cmdr ICHEB, an ex-Borg Brunali and now the chief engineer of the Resistance, appears as a hologram.

Janeway

Commander Icheb. Thank you for keeping my ship ready.

Icheb

Welcome back, Admiral. The Resistance is ready for you to command.

EXT. ABOVE IAPETUS

The command module soars into position above Resistance and gently sets down onto it, where it fits in place perfectly.

INT. BRIDGE, USS RESISTANCE

The command center of the BSTF is now the bridge of the USS Resistance. Janeway still sits in the captain's chair.

Argall

Reconnection sequence complete.

Janeway

Reactivate cloak.

The lights dim.

Maila

Cloak engaged.

Janeway

Activate command holomatrix.

With a SHIMMER of light, Cmdr ROUSHAN PRAKASHA, Resistance's holographic first officer, appears on the bridge.

Prakasha

Commander Roushan Prakasha, Long-Term Command Hologram, reporting for duty.

Janeway

Good to see you again, Commander.

Prakasha

Likewise, Admiral.

A turbolift arrives. Icheb enters the bridge and heads for an engineering console, accompanied by Senior Chief MWEZI UHURA, who takes the neighboring console. They are followed by a TACTICAL LIEUTENANT, who mans the tactical console.

Janeway

Status report.

Icheb

Warp, transwarp, and impulse engines ready. Phasing cloak is online and active.

Uhura

Holodefense grid is active. All interior and exterior holoemitters are online. Holotorpedos armed and ready.

Tactical Lt

Phasers ready. Quantum torpedos armed. Tetryon torpedos armed and loaded.

Maila

Subspace damping field ready. Omega device is ready for detonation.

Prakasha

All decks report command readiness, Admiral.

Janeway

Lieutenant Argall... set a course for Earth.

INT. STATION COMMANDER'S OFFICE, STARBASE 901

Lura and Milos stand waiting in Admiral Fletcher's office. Fletcher enters and crosses to her desk. She sits.

Fletcher

Captain, Commander. Take a seat.

Lura and Milos sit opposite her.

Fletcher

I received your report. Don't second-guess your decision to save the freighter. I would have done the same.

Lura

Thank you, Admiral.

Fletcher

But let's not dwell on that right now. I called you in because I have disturbing intel that I thought you should hear. Two cubes appeared in the Trill system before they could destroy their conduit.

Lura

starting to stand

The Lakarian City...

Fletcher

Isn't fast enough. And couldn't stop two cubes on its own. Reports from the systems under attack are that the Borg have adapted to all of our defenses.

Milos

Any word on evacuees?

Fletcher

There's a Trill evacuation fleet on its way to Bajor now. They've got almost a million civilians, plus thirty thousand unjoined symbionts.

Lura

Do you have a passenger manifest, Admiral? Is Councilor Khali-Dax on it?

Milos

You know her, Captain?

Lura

I studied music with her at the Dahkur City Conservatory. We've been friends ever since.

Fletcher

I'm sorry, Captain. The Trill haven't even managed a final headcount yet, much less gotten a manifest together. I'll alert you when I know more.

Lura

I understand. In any case, the bigger question is whether Bajor is any safer than Trill. We are the next logical destination.

Fletcher

Agreed. We've got the starbase, Lakarian City, and the Bajoran fleet. All starships in the region are being told to meet up here, though I don't know how many will arrive in time.

Lura

The Borg may have adapted to Federation weapons, but there are other species in the region they've never encountered. The Tzenkethi, for example, or the Dominion. It took the Federation two years to adapt to Dominion weapons -- it should take the Borg at least a few hours.

Fletcher

I've sent a request for aid to the New Dominion, but I doubt they'll help. Not their style. The Tzenkethi are a good idea, though; we may be able to convince them that this is our only chance to turn the Borg back in this region.

Milos

Can we hire the Daughters of the River?

Fletcher

I talked to that... _charming_ DaiMon Feska. They want latinum up front. Apparently, the Ferengi are unconvinced of our ability to pay our debts right now.

Milos

I know the Federation and the Breen aren't on the best of terms, but it might be possible to send a message through a back channel.

Fletcher

Interesting. Their energy damping weapons could be very useful. I'll make some calls. For right now, however, you and your crew are relieved of duty for the next hour. I wish I could give you more.

Lura

I'd rather be working, Admiral.

Fletcher

That was an order, Captain. I need you to deal with what happened to Celestial Temple either in a bar or a counselor's office, your choice. If you pick the bar, report to the doctor in an hour to get sobered up.

Lura

Understood, Admiral.

INT. BRIDGE, USS RESISTANCE

Admiral Janeway is still in the captain's chair, with Cmdr Prakasha sitting to her right and Dr Lee to her left. Maila is at a science console and Argall is at the helm; Icheb and Uhura have left. Other SUPERNUMERARIES man the other consoles.

Maila

Admiral, the Borg ships are resuming course toward Earth.

Janeway

Evacuation status?

Maila

They're at 84% capacity. They need another half an hour, at least.

Prakasha

Admiral, the Borg have never seen a ship like this. We could _easily_ buy half an hour.

Janeway

I still count ten cubes out there, Roushan.

Prakasha

And if you give us a chance to show you what this ship can do, we can change that in a hurry.

Several heads turn to watch the conversation with interest. The crew seems to be in agreement with Prakasha.

Janeway

Don't underestimate the Borg, Commander. Our only effective strategy right now is hit-and-run: isolate a single cube from the Collective and destroy it before it can adapt. _Maybe_ we could save Earth today if we gave up all this ship's secrets... but we'd lose the Federation tomorrow.

Prakasha

Yes, Admiral.

Janeway

How long until the Borg reach Earth, Dr Maila?

Maila

Just over six minutes.

Janeway

Commander, signal the evacuation fleet. Inform them that they have four minutes, no longer, to continue getting civilians out.

Prakasha and Maila exchange an uneasy look.

Maila

Admiral, to be clear, that will leave almost four hundred _thousand_ empty seats on the evacuation ships.

Janeway

I understand that. But we're leaving billions behind; half a million doesn't make much difference. Alert the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites of our schedule -- and Trill, if you can reach them. They'll need to synchronize their Omega detonations with ours so the Borg will have no time to react. We will leave at maximum warp and will provide cover to the departing evacuation fleet. Are those orders understood?

Prakasha

Absolutely, Admiral.

INT. ENGINEERING, USS RESISTANCE

Resistance's engineering section is dominated by its T-shaped warp/transwarp core. Icheb stands at an engineering console, with assorted SUPERNUMARIES at other consoles. Uhura is working next to him.

Icheb

Chief, we're going to need to make a quick exit. We'll need to drop the cloak to get enough power to the warp drive, but we don't want the Borg to get a good look at us either. Pull up a power flow diagram on the phasing cloak. I need to know the precise moment after deactivation that its power demand drops below .00121 terawatts.

Uhura

Yes, Commander. Permission to speak freely?

Icheb

As long as you're getting me that number while you're doing it.

Uhura

Why isn't the Admiral attacking?

Icheb

The Admiral feels it's better in the long run if Resistance is used for limited engagements only.

Uhura

I agree, sir, but... this is _Earth_.

Icheb

There are almost 200 worlds in the Federation; this is the best way to save as many of them as we can. In any case, the Admiral has made her decision.

Uhura

Understood, sir. The cloak's power draw will reach the specified level 3.6 seconds after deactivation.

Icheb

Thank you, Chief. Create a program to disengage the cloak, launch the Omega pod, activate warp, and then detonate the pod exactly 3.6 seconds later.

Uhura

Yes sir. I apologize if my line of questioning was inappropriate. Most of the crew is from Earth. I'm not sure we ever realized it would come to this.

Icheb

Admiral Janeway has been fighting the Borg for decades. She saved me from the Collective. She knows what she's doing, Chief. But she never said it wouldn't hurt.

Uhura finishes at his console.

Uhura

Program complete. If you don't need me for anything else, Commander, permission to step away and prepare one last message to my family.

Icheb

Go quickly, Chief. Time is short.

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

The Queen stands surrounded by four holograms of Earth, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar. As she speaks, the holograms respond by flagging key locations on the planetary surfaces.

Queen

Each fleet shall prepare to transport down one billion drones in ten waves. Begin by assimilating San Francisco and Paris on Earth, ShiKahr on Vulcan, Thylas on Andoria, and Gaavik on Tellar, then proceed to secondary targets. After military command and control centers are neutralized, shift priority to civilian populations. Strip the surfaces of the planets for resources and adapt their landscapes to service us.

INT. BRIDGE, USS RESISTANCE

Close on Janeway.

Janeway

Now, Mr Icheb.

sotto voce

Assimilate this, you monsters.

EXT. ABOVE EARTH

The evacuation fleet is moving quickly away as the Borg fleet enters high Earth orbit behind them. Resistance decloaks in escort position above the fleet and fires a small pod from an aft torpedo tube. We come in to rotate around it and see that it is a small purple dodecahedron, labeled with a large Greek omega and "Mark XII Harmonic Chamber" in smaller text beneath. Hand-painted below that is the phrase "NEVER FUTILE". We see the evacuation fleet go to warp in unison in the background, as lights flash on the pod, which suddenly erupts in a blinding blue light...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the USS Resistance decloaks, should Ron Howard make a special voiceover appearance to say "hey, that's the name of the show!"? Discuss in the comments. And hey, how about that cloak, huh? That sure does seem to violate the Treaty of Algeron. I wonder if that will have consequences or anything!
> 
> If you've seen Picard, you already know one of the main reasons I say this story isn't compatible with that show: the story of what happens to Icheb after the return to the Alpha Quadrant is entirely different. Icheb was rescued from the Borg Collective in the Voyager episode "[Collective](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Collective_\(episode\))" and was a major recurring character for the last two seasons of the show. He's the only member of a Delta Quadrant species who returned to Earth with Voyager and the only known ex-Borg ever to join Starfleet post-liberation. He's also one of my favorite Voyager characters - though his original actor is perhaps not my favorite person to appear in a Trek cast (we can recast, it's fine) - so you can understand why I might not want to rewrite this entire story to incorporate the new canon added by Picard.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	5. Part 1, Act 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two cubes are on the way to Bajor, and the tiny fleet being put together under Captain Lura and the Lakarian City to oppose them stands no chance at all. That's when Lura receives a most unexpected message.

INT. LEETA'S BAR, STARBASE 901

Lura sits alone at a table, nursing a tall bottle of kanar. The bar is otherwise empty. Milos enters and crosses to the table.

Milos

May I, Captain?

Lura nods and waves xir to sit. He offers the bottle.

Lura

Kanar, Commander?

Milos

No, thank you, Captain. I never much cared for it.

Lura

I hate it myself.

He offers the bottle again. Milos pours xirself a glass.

Lura

I understand you've been briefed on the Omega detonations.

Milos

Yes sir. The Admiral personally briefed all senior officers. I'd heard rumors, but... I never knew we had that kind of technology.

Lura

Up until today, our orders were to stop anyone from ever using it.

Milos

Bajor's Council of Ministers and the Detapa Council just made a joint proclamation. No Omega molecule will be detonated within 10 light years of the Bajoran wormhole. They're concerned it might harm the Prophets.

Lura

So Bajor and Cardassia will be defenseless when the Borg come.

Milos

But at least our gods will outlive us.

Lura

You were friends with Celestial Temple's chief engineer, weren't you?

Milos

Not friends exactly. We argued constantly. She was always irritable around me. She hated the fact that I was a Cardassian who followed the Prophets, and she made that clear whenever possible.

Lura

I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were so close.

Milos

She asked me to marry her a few weeks ago. I said yes.

Xie finishes xir glass and pours another.

Milos

At least she died. When the Borg are involved, it could always be worse.

Xie tops off Lura's glass of kanar.

Milos

To the Trill, to the Terrans, to the Vulcans, to the Andorians, to the Tellarites. To the crew of the Celestial Temple.

Lura

To everyone we lost today.

Milos nods. Both raise their glasses and drink, then grimace. Lura pushes his glass away.

Lura

The problem with kanar is I can never tell if it's gone bad.

Milos

Transphasic torpedos barely made a dent in that cube.

Lura

They've already adapted. I doubt any of our defenses will do much good against them now.

Milos

We'll find a way to stop them.

Lura

Yes we will. With our sixty year old starbase and a starship uglier than a naked Human.

Milos

And the Bajoran fleet, of course.

Lura

Yes, we'll give the Borg hell with our forty year old raiders, most of them cobbled together from fifty year old parts from subimpulse fighters built in sheds by untrained terrorists.

Milos

Truly, sir, a mighty armada. We might get the Tzenkethi too, of course.

Lura

True. And given that it's been a century since they won a war, I'd say they're due. But we will hold. We'll hold this station. The Borg will not take Bajor. They will not take Cardassia. Do you know why, Commander?

Milos

Why, sir?

Lura drinks his glass dry.

Lura

Because I owe Farok's next of kin a week's worth of transporter credits and I intend to pay up. Come on, one more and then we'll go get sobered up.

Lura takes the bottle and refills both glasses.

Lura

To last stands, Commander.

INT. BRIDGE, LAKARIAN CITY

Lura and Milos enter. The rest of the bridge crew is already there.

Lura

Lieutenant Joro, tactical update.

Joro

Long range sensors are monitoring the two Borg cubes currently over Trill. We estimate that by now as much as 30% of the planet's population is either dead or assimilated.

Milos

I've studied Starfleet Intelligence models of Borg assimilation. They predict that at around 70% completion, the process will be self-sustaining and the cubes will move on to their next target.

Lura

Which is probably us. How long do we have?

Milos

They could arrive at Bajor within thirty to forty hours.

Lura

How's our mighty armada doing?

Joro

The Bajoran Defense Fleet is scrambling now, sir. They'll be in the air within twenty minutes. The USS Archer is also joining the line and will be here within four hours.

Milos

Admiral Fletcher reports that a Tzenkethi warfleet under Subautarch M'ketzath is en route, ETA six hours. The USS Prakesh is also en route from Cardassia; it'll be here in two hours.

Lura

I thought Prakesh was on deep exploration in the Gamma Quadrant.

Milos

That's the Prakesh-C, sir. This is the Prakesh-B.

Lura

The museum ship?

Milos

Yes sir, the last surviving Keldon-class. Technically it was never decommissioned. And it does still have its full armament.

Lura

At this point I'd take a Pakled freighter if they were offering to help. Helm, disengage docking clamps. Thrusters reverse, one quarter.

Samok

Aye, sir. Preparing to depart.

Lura

Once we're clear, we'll take up a defensive position at--

But before he can finish his sentence, there is a flash of light...

INT. PURE WHITE SPACE

Lura stands alone in a purely white dimensionless space. The sound of a HEARTBEAT fills the empty space. For a moment, Lura is shocked, but as he realizes he's having a pagh'tem'far \- a vision from the Prophets, the aliens who inhabit the Bajoran wormhole - he looks almost annoyed.

Lura

Oh no. Not now...

He turns to see BENJAMIN SISKO, dressed casually, cooking at a kitchen counter that wasn't there a moment ago. Sisko is putting two sealed envelopes of parchment paper into an oven. Lura walks over to the counter.

Sisko

Now that I thought I'd never see. A Bajoran disappointed to receive a vision from the Prophets.

Lura

Emissary... I apologize if I...

Sisko stands up and grins.

Sisko

You can call me Ben, Kejal. Have you ever had Creole food?

Lura

It's very popular on Bajor.

Sisko

Hm. But I bet they put hasperat in everything.

Lura

I'm sorry, Emissary...

Sisko

Ben.

Lura

Ben. The Federation is being invaded by the Borg. If the Prophets are offering assistance, then I'll take it at any price. If not, please let me leave and prepare our defenses.

Sisko

You're being linear, Kejal. We're in no rush. TIme doesn't mean the same thing here as it does elsewhere.

Lura

Are the Prophets willing to help us or not?

Sisko

You're not a believer, are you? Even standing here, now?

Lura

I believe that there was a species who lived on Bajor before the Bajorans. I believe that they built the wormhole and live inside it now. I believe that they exist outside of time and I believe that they care about Bajor and its people. But I don't believe that they are gods.

Sisko

I used to feel that way. It's a perfectly valid theory, based on sound logic and observation. It's just a little... _boring_.

The oven timer DINGS and Sisko holds one finger up, then puts on some oven mitts and gleefully removes the paper packages from the oven. The packages have expanded into little balloons, which he places onto plates on the counter.

Sisko

This is an old, old recipe. I've never made it before. It was invented to celebrate an early Earth aviation pioneer. See how the papillotes look like little hot air balloons? Pull up a chair and tuck in.

Lura looks over to see a stool next to him that wasn't there before and sits down opposite from where Sisko is standing. Sisko slides a plate across to him.

Lura

We can't hold Bajor, Ben. We put together the best fleet we could, but we have no chance against the Borg.

Sisko

Use the knife to cut the paper and release the aroma.

Sisko does so, and basks in the smell of the baked fish. Lura remains sitting there.

Lura

Please, Ben. Help me save Bajor. I know our planet is important to you.

Sisko

It's only good hot, you know.

Lura reluctantly picks up his knife and cuts open the envelope, as Sisko smiles. Sisko takes a bite and rolls his eyes with pleasure.

Sisko

Now taste that and tell me a replicator could ever match it.

Lura

This isn't real any more than a replicated fish is.

Sisko

No, it's my _memory_ of a real fish. And that's even better.

Lura

Ben, you know better than anyone alive what will happen if the Borg come to Bajor. You were there forty years ago at Wolf 359.

There is a SCREAM, the sound of a RED ALERT, and then...

INT. CORRIDOR, USS SARATOGA

The kitchen counter is suddenly in a corridor on the USS Saratoga, a 24th century Miranda-class starship under attack from the Borg. The hallway is lit by emergency lighting and fire. Debris lines the walls. There are more distant SCREAMS and CRIES FOR HELP, along with the everpresent HEARTBEAT. Sisko, who is suddenly wearing a 24th century lieutenant commander's uniform, throws down his fork in anger.

Sisko

Now _why_ would you go and say something like that?

Lura

Because this is what my ship will look like in a few hours, Ben! We will last no longer against a full-on Borg assault than the Saratoga did. The screams you're hearing will be my crew! And after we fall, _everything_ will fall! After all they've given the people of Bajor, do the Prophets want them turned into mindless drones?

Sisko

The Bajoran people could have had a thousand years of peace and prosperity if they'd only had faith in the Prophets!

Lura

That's not an answer and you know it, Ben!

INT. PURE WHITE SPACE

The screams and alert sounds CEASE abruptly as Lura and Sisko are suddenly returned to the empty white room. Sisko, now back in his casual clothes, has gathered his composure and is reclining in his seat.

Sisko

I didn't bring you here to argue, Kejal. The Prophets can't intervene to save Bajor. Perhaps if the Reckoning had been completed...

Lura

Why _did_ you bring me here? To make me lunch? You've never appeared to anyone before - why me, why today, if not to make a deal for the fate of Bajor? I know there's a price. There's always a price! So name it!

Sisko pauses for a moment.

Sisko

I'm sorry, Kejal. You thought that I brought you here to discuss how the Prophets could save Bajor. I'm afraid it's the other way around.

Lura

What? What could the Prophets possibly fear from the Borg?

Sisko

It's not the Borg. It's the Dominion. They're preparing to detonate an Omega molecule at their end of the wormhole. It will stop the Borg from reaching the Gamma Quadrant - by destroying the wormhole and killing the Prophets. You must stop them.

Lura

You want me to take the ships defending Bajor to the Gamma Quadrant... to start a war with the Dominion?

Sisko

Saving Bajor is impossible if you cannot save the Prophets. The Prophets are of Bajor.

Lura

The Bajorans are of Bajor too! Do the Prophets want to be the gods of free people or of Borg drones? If the Alpha Quadrant falls, the Dominion is one of the last major powers left in the galaxy. If they're ready to destroy the wormhole to buy a few more decades, I don't know that I can tell them in good conscience that it's the wrong choice. And if I do, they'll fight back. The Jem'Tanak might be peacekeepers by name, but they're more than a match for my sorry fleet. I cannot do what you ask, Ben.

Sisko

You don't have a choice. The Prophets will die if you don't.

Lura

Then maybe it's time for them to die!

A dark pall begins to fall on the white room.

Lura

They did nothing for Bajor during the Occupation. Now the Borg are hours away and they're doing nothing all over again! Worse than nothing - they want to divert resources to save their own lives!

Sisko

They are of Bajor!

Lura

So am I, and I'm ready to die today on the off-chance it might keep the galaxy free! Can the Prophets say the same? I can't stop the Dominion from destroying the wormhole, not with one starship, and I'm not at all convinced that I should!

Lura's face changes as a new idea comes to him. The light starts to creep back into the room.

Lura

I can't stop them with a starship. But maybe I can stop them with a promise.

Sisko

A promise?

Lura

Promise me that the Prophets will never let a single Borg drone pass through the wormhole. I know they can do that because they've done it before. Promise me that the Dominion will stay safe. With that promise, I can give the Dominion a reason not to destroy the wormhole, and I can evacuate people to our colonies in the Gamma Quadrant.

Sisko

In my experience, favors from the Prophets come with a price.

Lura

I'm not asking a favor. I'm demanding a concession.

Sisko grins. The room is bright white again.

Sisko

I knew you were the right choice, Kejal.

Lura

So you'll do it?

Sisko

It's already done. The wormhole is closed to the Borg. Now eat. You need your strength.

Lura takes a bite of his fish.

Lura

This really is delicious, Ben.

Sisko

I'll give you the recipe if you like.

Lura

Maybe next time. Do you have any message you want me to send to your family?

Sisko's grin fades as the light dims again.

Sisko

It's too late. Jake and Zia were on Earth, and Kasidy was visiting friends on Tellar. They're all lost to me now.

Lura

You mean - _you_ can't see through the Omega distortions either?

Sisko

Even the Prophets have limits. Omega has disrupted their sense of space and time. Not even they know if I'll ever see my son and daughter again.

Lura

I'm sorry, Ben.

Sisko

Save the Prophets, Kejal. And save Bajor.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura is back exactly where he was standing on the Lakarian City's bridge, halfway through his sentence. Several of the bridge crew are looking at him curiously.

Milos

Captain Lura?

Lura

Milos, what was my last order?

Milos

To take up a defensive position, sir, but you never specified a location.

Lura

Belay that. Commander, we need to contact every planet and every ship within twenty hours of this location. Bajor, Cardassia, Tzenketh, Ferenginar, Talar, Breen, Tholos, the survivors from Trill, and anyone I'm forgetting. _Everyone_ is to evacuate through the wormhole, and by everyone I mean absolutely every last living soul. Then signal the fleet - their new orders are not to defend Bajor but to defend the evacuation fleet.

Milos

Sir, Admiral Fletcher said...

Lura

Right, I should probably talk to her. But send the message first. Every second counts. Ensign Samok, set a course for the wormhole.

Samok

For the wormhole, sir?

Lura

That is what I said, Ensign. Yellow alert. All hands to combat readiness.

Milos

Captain, can I see you in your office?

Lura

Only if you've sent that message, Commander. Samok, full impulse!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's a [pagh'tem'far](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Pagh%27tem%27far)! Those are always fun times. Oh, what's that, you found the explorations of Bajoran religion on DS9 boring? You have maybe picked the wrong author, my friend! Anyway, it's implied here that the Prophets would have protected Bajor from the Borg - maybe even the whole Federation - if Kai Winn hadn't gone and [messed it up for everyone](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Reckoning). That's our Adami!
> 
> The first [Prakesh](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Prakesh) was commanded by Gul Dukat, but history has not held that against the ship, preferring instead to remember it as the ship that saved the Detapa Council from invading Klingon forces. There's no canonical evidence that there was ever a "Prakesh-B", but I'm choosing to believe it was Gul Rusot's ship and participated in the first battle of the Cardassian Rebellion, the capture of Rondac III, thus cementing the name of Prakesh among the complicated-but-mostly-heroic ship names of the post-war era. I sure hope things go well for it in the fight against the Borg! An antiquated museum ship going up against a ruthless cybernetic enemy? Dunno why, but I've got a good feeling about that...
> 
> Ben's dish here is called pompano en papillote, and was, as he mentioned, created at a New Orleans restaurant to honor a hot air balloonist, Alberto Santos-Dumont. I have not had it. I actually have not really had much Creole food in general, because I'm not good with spicy. But I figured jambalaya was a bit too obvious.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	6. Part 1, Act 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lura holds his ground against a Dominion fleet intent on destroying the wormhole and killing the Prophets.
> 
> Meanwhile, the Borg Queen is feeling uncharacteristically annoyed.

INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura and Milos are in Lura's (as yet undecorated) ready room, speaking with Admiral Fletcher via holocommunicator. Both Lura and Milos are spotlit.

Fletcher

You had a pagh'tem'far?

Milos

A vision from the Prophets, sir.

Fletcher

I know what it is, Commander; I've been assigned to Bajor for five years. I've heard three crewmen and a lieutenant use that excuse to disobey my orders, but I never thought I'd hear it from a captain.

Lura

It wouldn't be the first time, sir.

Milos

Admiral, you can't be suggesting that Captain Lura would make something like this up.

Fletcher

Maybe not, but you said yourself the Prophets have been affected by the Omega detonations. What if they're wrong, Kejal? We have no indication that the Dominion even knows what an Omega molecule _is_.

Lura

If I'm wrong, I'll find out as soon as I get through the wormhole.

Fletcher

If the Dominion is planning an Omega detonation to destroy the wormhole, do you really think there's any diplomatic solution possible?

Lura

The Vorta are genetically engineered to be the perfect diplomats, Admiral. They'll listen to what I have to say. The only question is whether I can convince them that the alternative I'm offering is what benefits them the most.

Fletcher

If you can't, get back here immediately and we'll reevaluate our plans.

Milos

We're about to enter the wormhole, Captain.

Fletcher

Don't think you've avoided the consequences of acting before you spoke to me, Captain Lura. But we'll deal with that problem tomorrow. Good luck.

EXT. BAJORAN WORMHOLE, ALPHA SIDE

The wormhole opens with its usual dramatic display and the Lakarian City enters.

EXT. BAJORAN WORMHOLE, GAMMA SIDE

The wormhole opens right in front of a small Dominion fleet, with a battle cruiser supported by a swarm of Jem'Tanak fighter squadrons, all escorting a Vorta science vessel. Lakarian City exits the wormhole almost directly into the middle of the Dominion fleet.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

On the bridge, the Dominion fleet is on main viewer.

Lura

Tactical display.

Joro

Aye, sir.

A holographic display of the Dominion ships appears in front of Lura.

Milos

They've got us heavily outgunned, Captain.

Lura

I'm hoping to avoid guns today. Hail the cruiser.

Lura is spotlit and two holograms appear on the bridge: the Vorta ambassador Geyal and a Jem'Tanak soldier. Both wear command and control eyepieces. The Jem'Tanak looms silently from behind Geyal's left shoulder.

Geyal

Federation ship, please return to the Alpha Quadrant immediately.

Lura

Ambassador Geyal, I'm Captain Lura Kejal of the starship Lakarian City. I believe we've met before. Now, why exactly are you requesting that we leave? This sector is neutral territory by treaty.

Geyal

The New Dominion is preparing a defensive line due to the threat of an invasion through the wormhole, a contingency specifically provided for in the Treaty of Bajor.

Lura

Not much of a defensive line yet, is it? One cruiser is no match for a Borg cube. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a science vessel you're escorting?

Geyal

A team of Vorta scientists is here to analyze the Borg for weaknesses.

Lura

Really? You sure they're not analyzing the wormhole for weaknesses? Because I can't stress enough that Bajor - and the Federation - will not tolerate any interference with the wormhole... which I may as well point out is _also_ expressly stipulated in the Treaty of Bajor.

Geyal

As you should know, collapsing the anomaly is beyond the capability of either of our governments.

Lura

Of course. Perhaps the information I received was wrong.

Geyal

Another unfortunate mistake by Starfleet Intelligence, I'm sure.

Lura

No, this wasn't from Starfleet. It was from the Prophets. You are familiar with the Prophets?

Geyal is clearly startled. Even the Jem'Tanak's imperturbable glare falters.

Geyal

The... creatures who inhabit the anomaly.

Lura

Yes. You may remember them from your studies of recent Dominion history. But just as a reminder, they're non-corporeal beings who exist outside of linear time and are effectively omniscient. I'm going to need your science vessel to withdraw, Ambassador.

Geyal

My orders come from the Founders, Captain Lura. And even with your Prophets, your ship cannot stop us from executing those orders.

Geyal raises a hand and the Jem'Tanak nods to someone off-screen.

Joro

They've powered weapons, Captain.

Lura

One thing Starfleet Intelligence did get wrong... they didn't think you knew about the Omega molecule.

Geyal

In future, perhaps the Federation should simply assume that anything that they've discovered, we discovered first. The Dominion has ruled for two thousand years. We discovered the skyburner molecule when Humans were still figuring out steam power. Now, Captain, leave this quadrant while you still can. Your gods are lost to you, but you might still save your planet.

Lura

The Prophets sent me with a message, Ambassador. You have two options.

Geyal

beat

I'm listening.

Lura

They have agreed to close the wormhole to the Borg. In return, the Dominion will leave the wormhole alone, provide safe passage for any and all refugees we can evacuate through, and help defend the evacuation fleet.

Geyal

And my other option?

Lura

I'd rather not think about the other option. It involves me destroying that science vessel and any others that come after it. I don't like killing scientists.

Geyal

They are Vorta clones; they are replaceable. Even if you did manage to destroy the ship before the skyburner was activated, you wouldn't survive to destroy the next ship.

Lura

Bajor would send others after me. The Bajoran people would rather die than lose their gods. And, of course, we could always send the Borg a message, tell them they'd better skip Bajor and hurry straight here.

Geyal

A war between Bajor and the Dominion - however futile on Bajor's part - is not something that would be in our interest. But what guarantee do you have that your Prophets have the ability and the desire to keep their word?

Lura

You have mine. I'm happy to discuss this further, but first, I need you to withdraw your science vessel.

Geyal hesitates for a moment, then gestures to someone off-screen. The holographic tactical display shows the science vessel moving.

Milos

The science vessel is coming about, Captain, setting course for Dominion space.

Geyal

Let's talk, Captain.

INT. OPS, STARBASE 901

Admiral Fletcher enters Ops from her office. A CARDASSIAN LIEUTENANT in command red is manning one of the ops stations, the others are manned by SUPERNUMERARIES. On the screen, the wormhole is opening.

Fletcher

Report.

Cardassian Lieutenant

The Lakarian City is coming through the wormhole, sir, and not alone.

On screen, the Lakarian City arrives through the wormhole, followed by the Dominion cruiser.

Fletcher

Hail Lura.

Lura appears by holocommunicator.

Lura

Hello again, Admiral.

Fletcher

Is the wormhole safe, Captain?

Lura

Yes sir. And with your permission, Ambassador Geyal would like to offer the New Dominion's assistance in escorting refugees to Federation colonies in the Gamma Quadrant.

Fletcher

That's a very generous offer. The Dominion doesn't make generous offers.

Lura

It comes with strings, sir. Or rather, one big string. They want control of the colonies.

Fletcher

I beg your pardon?

Lura

I told them that the colonies could legally only become Dominion protectorates by a popular referendum. But they agreed too quickly.

Fletcher

They're entirely capable of making sure the vote comes down the way they want it to.

Lura

On the other hand, if we say no, they're entirely capable of taking them by force. The Federation's in no position to stop them. The only reason they're doing it this way is because they don't like to fight for something they can get by asking nicely, and they don't like breaking treaties when they can just write new ones.

Fletcher

Either way, we have to choose between giving our civilians to the Dominion or to the Borg. This is like giving the DMZ away all over again. All right, tell Geyal she has a deal. The first wave of evacuation ships is assembling over Bajor now, Tell her she can start by filling that cruiser to the gills with Bajoran civilians and escorting the first wave to Idran IV. And considering what we're giving up, tell her we expect to see every free ship the Dominion has over here. I want every rust bucket with a working set of thrusters assisting this evacuation.

Lura

Aye sir. I hate to say this, but I don't think we should tell the evacuees about the deal with the Dominion. It'll increase reluctance and slow things down.

Fletcher

Agreed. I'm putting the Lakarian City in charge of coordinating the evacuation and escort fleets in the Bajoran sector. The Archer will head through the wormhole and coordinate on the Idran side until the Borg arrive. By my estimates, we've got less than twenty-six hours to evacuate ninety billion civilians from thirty planets in twelve different sectors. I sure as hell hope the Prophets can live up to their end of the bargain.

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

The Borg Queen's expression is one of mild distaste.

Queen

Again. Replay time index 001 through 064. Include star charts showing the spatial anomalies.

The holograms of Earth, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar appear around her. Beneath each, a star chart shows the surrounding sector. Each of the planets disappears in a simultaneous burst of blue light, followed by a burst of static as the feeds cut out. In the star charts, she watches the expanding roughly spherical distortion areas spread as subspace is destroyed in each of the four sectors.

Collective

Confirmed: multiple detonations of Particle 010. Subspace destruction throughout affected sectors. Status of invasion fleets unknown.

Queen

Janeway. No one else would be so bold as to use Particle 010 against _us_. Those were our own harmonic resonance chambers she converted into bombs. But where is her ship? She wouldn't have done it without an escape route. Replay time index 007 through 054 of the detonation in Spatial Grid 1026. Focus on the evacuation fleet.

The holograms disappear and a larger image of Earth appears alone. The image zooms in on the departing evacuation fleet and Resistance can be seen decloaking and launching the Omega pod just before the fleet goes to warp.

Queen

There. That vessel.

A rough hologram, lacking any detail but showing the basic silhouette of Resistance, appears before her.

Collective

Federation vessel. Registration: Unknown. Class: Unknown. Complement: Unknown. Purpose: Unknown. Armament: Unknown. Cloaking device of unknown origin. The Collective has no other knowledge of this vessel.

Queen

New priority: Identify this vessel and its capabilities and adapt. Once its technological advantages have been nullified, assimilate it and its crew.

Collective

Its distinctiveness will be added to our own.

Queen

That's what I like to hear.

INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura is sitting at his desk, studying a PADD. His communicator BEEPS.

Milos

Captain, there's a message coming in for you personally.

Lura

I'll return it later, Commander.

Milos

Sir, it's a, uh... "class four emergency."

Lura runs a hand across his face.

Lura

Just how urgent is this particular class four?

Milos

She's repeating her hail, sir.

Lura SIGHS.

Lura

Put her through, Milos. And please... viewscreen, not holocommunicator.

He opens a drawer in his desk, takes out a Bajoran earring, and puts it on before activating his monitor. On screen is his mother, LURA RAHL, a formidable widow in her late sixties wearing a Bajoran religious emblem as a pendant. Though she wears civilian clothes, she has a military bearing.

Lura

Hello, Nunu.

Rahl

I heard from Aroya next door that the reason we were evacuating now was because my son had a pagh'tem'far and the Prophets told him we should go to the Gamma Quadrant. And I said, "no, that can't be true, because if my Kejal had _a conversation with the gods_ , he would have called his mother straight away."

Lura

It's been a very busy day. Anyway, I didn't speak with the Prophets, I spoke with the Emissary.

Rahl

The first vision granted by the Emissary, and he chose _my son_!

Lura

Shouldn't you be evacuating?

Rahl

They're doing it by lottery. I'm not going until the fourth wave.

Lura

The fourth wave? Listen, I can make one call and get you beamed up immediately.

Rahl

Is that an offer or a threat?

Lura

Maybe a little of both.

Rahl

All right, all right, don't go calling in any favors on my account. There's a lottery for a reason and I don't want to take anyone else's seat. Anyway, I'm not even packed.

Lura

Nothing you can't carry in your arms, you know that, right?

Rahl

Don't worry about me, I travel light. Tell me about your pagh'tem'far.

Lura

I'm almost done my report for Starfleet, I'll send you a copy.

Rahl

I don't want a report! What was it _like_? Did you feel the love of the Prophets?

Lura

annoyed

The Prophets wanted me to...

beat, then more calmly

Yes. Yes, Nunu, I felt the love of the Prophets.

Rahl

It must have been beautiful.

Lura

It was.

Rahl

I had an Orb experience once. It was the most important moment of my life - and the reason I married your father.

Lura

I know.

Rahl

I know there was probably a lot you didn't understand. Just keep your heart open to the Prophets and they will guide your path. I know you're not much of a believer, but I've always told you the Prophets want what's best for Bajor and for you. Now they've said it themselves, maybe you'll listen.

Lura

It was an experience I won't soon forget. The Emissary cooked me fish.

Rahl

Don't joke with me.

Lura

I'm not. It was delicious. And oddly filling, considering it wasn't real.

Rahl

He fed your soul, Kejal. I always knew you had a special destiny. Is it true about Farok? And about Trill?

Lura

Yes.

Rahl

Any news of Serza?

Lura

Nothing yet.

Rahl

I liked her. I had high hopes on that front.

Lura

And you were always so subtle about them.

Rahl

I'm sure she made it out. She lives right near the spaceport, doesn't she? We can find her when we get to New Bajor. You are coming, aren't you? Your people need you in the Gamma Quadrant.

Lura

I have to oversee the evacuation. The Borg are going to be here, and when they are, we'll have to hold them back while the civilian fleet evacuates.

Rahl

Of course. I know your duty is to the Federation. But one way or another, there won't be much of a Federation left two days from now. Get the evacuation fleet through the wormhole, of course - but when you're done, come with us. The colonies in the Gamma Quadrant will be all alone, surrounded by the Dominion and who knows what else. We need strong leaders, and the First Minister isn't the man for the job. Kejal, I know this isn't what you ever wanted - but you might be the only person who could govern the Gamma Quadrant colonies.

Lura

I'm sorry... me?

Rahl

You're a hero on Bajor and, now that you've spoken with the Emissary, a religious figure as well. You're a Starfleet officer and the Cardassians and other Federation citizens respect you. You've dealt with the Dominion your whole career. You're our best hope.

Lura

I can't. I have responsibilities here. The Borg...

Rahl

The Borg are going to win, Kejal. They're going to leave the Alpha Quadrant an empty wasteland.

Lura

I'm sorry, Nunu. I'm not ready to give up.

Rahl

How many ships were lost at Wolf 359? That was one Borg cube.

Lura

39 ships. But that was a long time ago. We've adapted.

Rahl

They adapt faster. I saw the same Federation files as you when I was in the Militia. You'll make no difference here. You could define the future of the Bajoran people in the Gamma Quadrant.

Lura

I'll think about it.

Rahl

_Pray_ about it.

Lura

All right. I love you, Nunu.

Rahl

I love you too, Kejal. I hope I'll see you soon.

Lura picks up his PADD and types something.

Lura

There's a phaser in my old footlocker at home. I'm sending you the locker code and the activation sequence for the phaser. I figure... just in case.

Rahl

Just in case.

Lura

It won't do much against the Borg, but if the worst comes to the worst...

Rahl

I understand, Kejal. Believe me - I'd never let them take me alive.

She smiles at him.

Rahl

May the Prophets guide you, Kejal.

She signs off. Lura turns and looks out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the halfway point! If this were televised this would be where you'd have to wait a week to figure out what happens. Probably would want to put a big visual scene at the end there where we zoom out through Lura's window to view the evacuation fleet filling the sky, but since I'm presenting it as a continuous piece I'm skipping that scene.
> 
> The New Dominion has, in theory, become a softer, kinder Dominion since the return of Odo to the Great Link. Newly created Vorta are no longer being pre-programmed with a genetically predetermined veneration of the Founders, and the Jem'Hadar have been replaced with the Jem'Tanak, theoretically a peacekeeping force. You might compare them to modern Japan's [JSDF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces); renamed and constitutionally limited, but extremely capable. On the other hand, modern Russia might make an even better comparison; for all its changes, the "New Dominion" has effectively the same leadership, the same bureaucracy, the same military, and the same expansionist urges as its predecessor. However, they also have a very healthy respect for the Prophets, who once [destroyed an armada of several thousand Dominion ships](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sacrifice_of_Angels_\(episode\)).
> 
> Mind you, the Prophets aren't the only gods being weaponized in this story. The study of the Omega molecule is, after all, the closest thing the Borg have to a theology, but they hit a brick wall in their studies because the only method of synthesizing it discovered by any species they'd ever assimilated required a [rare ore](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Boronite) that they can't get more of. But Janeway and Seven of Nine, later aided by Dr Maila, used a combination of stolen Borg knowledge, Federation lateral thinking, and accidental discoveries made by [a pre-warp civilization in the Delta Quadrant](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Allos%27_species) to not only synthesize multiple new Omega molecules but also use them as weapons _against the Borg_. No wonder the Queen is in a mood. Imagine how you'd feel if _your_ ex-girlfriends who used to share a single mind with you discovered how to use your God to destroy most of your invasion fleet. We've all been there, right?
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	7. Part 2, Act 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Lura makes amends for a long-ago error, but has to then follow it up with a great sacrifice.
> 
> Meanwhile, Dr Maila talks with an old, old friend about her newest idea for a solution to the Borg threat.

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The wormhole is open, and a steady stream of ships of every kind is heading in and out. The flash of ships going in and out of warp is a constant, lighting up the sky like fireflies. Civilian freighters from a dozen worlds fly in formation with Dominion cruisers and Ferengi assault vessels. A wing of Breen ships are arriving to join the Lakarian City's growing fleet - which already includes the Keldon-class USS Prakesh (a Cardassian ship), the raider ships of the Tzenkethi warfleet, the fighters of the Bajoran Defense Fleet, and a handful of tiny Talarian warships - holding position near the starbase.

Lura

Captain's log, stardate 84040.5. Our defensive line has been unexpectedly joined by the isolationist Breen Confederacy - a welcome addition, as the Borg have never faced their unique energy dissipator weapons. In return, they've asked for their choice of class P planet in Federation space in the Gamma Quadrant to settle on undisturbed - a small price to pay. Even more surprising: Admiral Fletcher is in talks with the Tholian Assembly, who are seriously considering joining us. The evacuation is already the largest migration in the recorded history of the quadrant, but it's not moving fast enough. The Bajoran system is almost completely evacuated, but there are billions of people left on Cardassia, to say nothing of the non-Federation worlds under evacuation.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura enters the bridge from his ready room and takes his seat next to Milos.

Lura

Any new communication from the Breen?

Milos

Just one word, text-only: "Ready."

Lura

Good. I only wish the Tzenkethi were similarly gifted with brevity.

Milos

Yes sir. The Subautarch has requested another formal discussion of battle tactics. He's recommending what he called a "Kretheshi Gambit". He's sent over some diagrams, sir.

Lura

Tell him that we're going to use "Kejal's Opening". It's a pretty straightforward tactic: when the Borg get here, we're going to shoot at them.

Milos

Yes sir. I may edit that message slightly for diplomatic purposes.

Lura

sighing

Send his diagrams to my ready room; I'll take a look. I see the Daughters of the River are running escort for some of the civilian ships. Who hired them?

Milos

Mostly other Ferengi, but every private ship that can afford them has been putting bids in.

Lura

Will they fight?

Milos

If the ship they're contracted to defend is in jeopardy, yes, to the death. If not, they'll watch the battle from a safe distance and never bat an eye.

Joro

Sir, I have a report from the Skrreea ship Ffankee. They've just picked up the last wave of Bajoran evacuees.

Lura

Hail the Ffankee.

Lura is spotlit and a female SKRREEA CAPTAIN appears on screen.

Lura

Captain, I understand that the evacuation of Bajor is complete.

Skrreea Captain

Yes, Captain Lura. We had some trouble with the last few waves - there were those who preferred to die on their home planet than to live on a strange one. There was some harsh language when we beamed them aboard.

Lura

I'm sorry about that.

Skrreea Captain

It's quite all right, Captain. In truth, there was less resistance than we thought, thanks to you; people believed the evacuation was ordained by their gods. In any case, the Skrreea are used to harsh language.

Lura

I must commend your people on your efficiency during the evacuation. You got all four million of your people off of Draylon II within an hour, and your assistance with the evacuation of Bajor and Cardassia has been invaluable.

Skrreea Captain

We are a refugee people. Quick evacuations have been part of our way of life for decades.

Lura

I know it must be painful for your people to have to return to the Gamma Quadrant after your exodus. The least I can do as thanks for your assistance is to offer your people a home on New Bajor.

Skrreea Captain

That's a very moving gesture, Captain Lura. Will we be... welcome on a Bajoran colony?

Lura

I believe I speak for all of our people when I say there's no one we'd rather have at our side. New Bajor was mostly empty until this morning; now it'll have a few billion new residents. Four million expert farmers will go a long way.

Skrreea Captain

It's a very generous offer, Captain. I will take it to our matriarchs.

Lura

Of course. Lura out.

The Skrreea woman nods and disappears.

Milos

Out of curiosity, Captain, did you clear that offer with the Bajoran government?

Lura

The idea hadn't occurred to me until just now. I'll get an angry call from the First Minister, but the Bajoran people won't make the mistake of turning the Skrreea away a second time.

Joro

Sir, about Bajor...

Lura

Yes, Lieutenant, have you confirmed that the Skrreea got everyone?

Joro

Yes sir. No humanoid life signs of any kind remain on the planet.

Lura

On screen.

The planet Bajor appears on screen, a beautiful orb of green and blue.

Lura

It looks so peaceful, doesn't it?

beat

Milos, signal the fleet to prepare for orbital bombardment of all developed areas.

Joro

shocked

Sir?

Lura

The Borg will scour the surface clean if there's anything of value left on it. If we destroy our own technology, we can at least spare most of the ecosystem as well as irreplaceable cultural artifacts like B'hala, the State Museum, and the Home of the Emissary.

Milos

Sir, surely we can at least evacuate the museum artifacts, the Vedek Assembly's library..

Lura

We need our ships to transport people, Milos, not artifacts. All we can do is beam as many vital cultural artifacts as possible into deep caves. Begin a survey.

Milos

Aye, sir.

Lura

Order the fleet into orbit of Bajor, Lieutenant.

EXT. ABOVE BAJOR

The Lakarian City's fleet enters orbit above Bajor.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Some of the Bajoran crew members are clearly on the verge of tears.

Milos

Captain, we're commencing site-to-site transport of cultural artifacts now. There are large, dry limestone caves in the Hill Province that should work well as a storage area.

Lura

Did you include the museum at the Dahkur Conservatory? They've got priceless musical instruments from around the Quadrant as well as musical texts dating back to the First Age of Bajor.

Milos

Yes sir, that was included in the survey.

Joro

What about the Lightship Museum in Rakantha, Commander? It holds the lightship replica built by the Emissary.

Samok

turning in his seat

Commander, it may seem an unlikely choice, but in my time on Bajor I found the Communications Museum to be of immense value in my studies of the history of pre-electronic intraplanetary data transfer...

Milos

We're moving every cultural or historical item we possibly can.

Lura

Lieutenant Joro, begin putting together targeting parameters. Our goal is a surgical strike against anything of value to the Borg without destroying anything we don't need to. Avoid cultural and conservation areas as best you can.

Joro

Understood, sir.

Milos

The fleet reports that the transport of artifacts is nearing completion.

Lura

Lieutenant, once you've prepared your target list, you are relieved.

Joro

Sir?

Lura

I'm not going to make you be the one to push the button, Deram.

Joro

Yes sir. Thank you, sir.

Lura stands and walks over to the tactical console, which Joro yields to him.

Milos

Captain, the transport is complete. I'm afraid one collection of irreplaceable religious texts wound up in an uncharted lake in one of the caves.

Lura

Better that than letting the Borg destroy them.

His hand hovers over a button on the console.

Lura

Bajor, forgive me.

He presses the button.

EXT. ABOVE BAJOR

Lakarian City begins firing on the planet. The rest of the fleet follows suit.

INT. CABIN, MOUNTAINS - DAY

Inside a cozy and well-appointed mountain cabin, built and furnished in the North American tradition of Earth. A fire crackles pleasantly in the fireplace. Dr Maila is sitting curled up on a well-worn but comfortable armchair under a crocheted throw blanket, reading from a PADD. A large Great Dane sleeps at her feet. She is talking to someone in the adjoining kitchen.

Maila

This is amazing! According to this research, a simple inverse tachyon pulse is all that would be required to completely destroy the Borg Collective. It would disrupt the effect of the Borg nanoprobes, instantly releasing every drone. They'd have no memory of their time in the Collective; it'd be like they'd never been assimilated.

GUINAN - or rather, an echo of Guinan as she appeared in 2293 - enters from the kitchen, carrying two steaming mugs. She puts one down on the table next to Maila's chair and keeps the other.

Guinan

There you go. One hot chocolate, no marshmallows.

Maila

Thank you, Guinan, this looks lovely. Are the boys back from their hike yet? I want to tell them about this too.

Guinan

Oh, you know them. Send two starship captains on an hour-long hike and they'll come back six hours later arguing about who won. You can tell me about it and we'll fill them in later.

Maila

Wait, where's my combadge? First I need to report this to... Admiral...

Maila suddenly looks confused and uncertain, as though she can't quite remember where she is or why she's there. The Great Dane stirs halfheartedly.

Guinan

Admiral Janeway is already dead, Maila.

Maila

What? No! I just saw her... and then I was... here?

Guinan

They're all dead. Or they will be, if you don't help them.

Maila

The inverse tachyon pulse...

Guinan

That won't work. Nothing will work. The Borg will assimilate everyone in the Federation. Just as they did on Ta-Haros and Ke-La-Fazur.

Maila

No, that's not going to happen. We have the Resistance, the Omega devices. We can stop them this time.

Guinan

None of that will change anything. Your only hope is to tell Janeway to set a course for the Nexus. Come to the Nexus and you'll be safe from the Borg.

Guinan sips her hot chocolate.

Guinan

Otherwise, you'll be turned into one of them and you'll spend the rest of your life forced to commit atrocity after atrocity. They'll keep you alive for thousands of years, Maila, taking every story you've ever heard from you and using your mind and your body to destroy more and more worlds.

Maila

No. No, I won't let that happen.

Guinan

Then come to the Nexus, Maila. I've got hot chocolate waiting for you, just like before. And they're coming. They're coming for you. And they'll never stop until you're one of them.

INT. SICKBAY, USS RESISTANCE

Maila awakes on a bio-bed with a SCREAM, covered with sweat. Dr Lee is standing over her, his hands on her shoulders. Janeway watches from the corner.

Lee

Dr Maila! You're safe, doctor!

Maila

Where am I?

Lee

You're on the Resistance. Do you remember collapsing on the bridge?

Maila

I collapsed?

Janeway

Maila, what happened?

Maila

I'm... I'm sorry, Admiral. I've never had an attack this strong.

Janeway

An attack of what exactly?

Maila

Admiral, we need to go to the Nexus. We have to enter it. It's the only place where we'll be safe.

Lee

The Nexus?

Janeway

An energy pattern that circles the galaxy once every forty years. It causes those who enter it to live outside of time in a place where everything is perfect.

Lee

Sounds nice.

Janeway

Only two people, James Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard, are known to have left it voluntarily, under extraordinary circumstances. But after their homeworld was destroyed by the Borg, about fifty El-Aurian refugees were briefly exposed to it during a transport before being forcibly yanked out. For a people naturally attuned to the flow of space and time...

Maila

Touching the Nexus... it changed us. For the better. That's why we need to go back. Everyone.

Janeway

Two dozen of those El-Aurians have died trying to return to the Nexus. Ten more have committed themselves to protective custody. One of the refugees attempted _genocide_ in an effort to return.

Maila

Admiral, I would never hurt _anyone_. But I have to get back. We all do.

Janeway kneels down in front of Maila.

Janeway

Maila, we can't enter the Nexus. We have to save the Federation. I'm counting on you.

Maila

Bajor and Cardassia are being evacuated through the wormhole. Why not evacuate people into the Nexus? They'd be safe in there.

Janeway

They'd be dead, Maila. That's what happens to people who go into the Nexus. They _die_.

Maila

No, they... they live forever.

Lee

Dr Maila, can I give you something that will calm you down?

Maila

Only if the Admiral promises to set a course for the Nexus.

Janeway

I promise to consider it, Maila. Will you let the doctor treat you now?

Maila nods, and Lee gives her a hypospray. She nods off into a peaceful sleep. Janeway rubs her temples.

Janeway

Damn. I'd forgotten it was a Nexus year. Get her back on her feet as soon as possible, doctor.

Lee

Admiral, she can't return to duty like this.

Janeway

She's been stable through two returns of the Nexus. This is a passing episode. She'll pull herself together.

Lee

And if she doesn't? I know she's an expert on the Borg, but...

Janeway

She's more than that, James. El-Aurians touched by the Nexus have an unparalleled connection to spacetime - halfway between Human and Q. Coupled with her scientific expertise... no one else could have perfected the Omega devices or invented the tetryon torpedo. And when we win, she's the only chance we have of finding a way to repair the Omega damage and return home to Earth.

Lee

As your chief medical officer, I must insist that her access to navigation and shuttlecraft be restricted until I'm satisfied she doesn't pose a risk to herself or others. And, of course, she'll have to submit to continuous monitoring.

Janeway

Agreed. Just get her back on the bridge as soon as you can.

Lee

Even if she jeopardizes the mission?

Janeway

We don't have a mission without her.

INT. BRIDGE, USS RESISTANCE

Prakasha is in the captain's chair, Argall at the helm, Icheb at an engineering console, and SUPERNUMERARIES elsewhere. Janeway enters from the turbolift.

Icheb

Admiral, how is Doctor Maila?

Janeway

Stable for now. Latest updates?

Prakasha stands to yield the captain's chair to Janeway.

Prakasha

The government of Alpha Centauri is processing the refugees from Earth. The Starfleet Sensor Net is still unable to track Borg activity directly, but it does report that communication traffic from the Romulan Empire dropped precipitously about ten minutes ago; that could indicate an Omega explosion or it could indicate that they're under attack. There appears to have been an Omega detonation in the Bolarus sector, but no Borg were reported there. It may have been an accidental detonation.

Argall

Bolarus? That means the Bank of Bolias is down. Every monetary-based economy in the rimward side of the quadrant was run through the Bank of Bolias.

Prakasha

That region has bigger issues to worry about. I've confirmed that the USS Lakarian City is overseeing an evacuation of the region through the Bajoran wormhole, but two Borg cubes have left Trill and are moving on their position. They've got a small fleet to defend the evacuees, but...

Janeway

But the Resistance could make the difference. How soon can we be there?

Argall

The Resistance isn't built for speed, Admiral. At standard warp, the best I can do is still two days. At transwarp I _might_ be able to get us there in time to make a difference, but...

Janeway

Mr Icheb, how long will it take to get engines back online if we attempt transwarp without the conduit network?

Icheb

For a transwarp journey of that distance, the tetryon purge will take at least four hours. We'd be stuck at impulse until it was complete.

Janeway

We got twenty thousand light years out a transwarp coil on Voyager, as I recall.

Icheb

Voyager was a less complex ship - but more importantly, we were lucky. If the coil had imploded from tetryon buildup, it would have taken half the drive section with it.

Argall

Admiral, with respect, I think even a remote possibility of assisting the evacuation is worth four hours of downtime and an extra shift for the engineering department.

Janeway

Agreed. Set a course for Bajor, maximum transwarp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: the Skrreea legend of [Kentanna](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Kentanna) was given to them by the Prophets. If Bajor hadn't turned away the Skrreea refugees in the DS9 episode "[Sanctuary](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sanctuary_\(episode\))", maybe Winn Adami wouldn't have been elected Kai, in which case the [Reckoning](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Reckoning) would have been completed and Bajor would have had a thousand years of peace instead of getting shot to hell by its own people to keep the Borg from looting it. Anyway, I love the Skrreea.
> 
> The Nexus is, of course, from [Generations](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_Generations). I had originally planned for that scene to depict Jean-Luc and Jim themselves, but I think Guinan is actually the more interesting option, for one key reason - El-Aurians don't tell their stories except to El-Aurians. So having Guinan's echo as a recurring "character" gives us a chance to learn a lot more about Maila's people and history.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	8. Part 2, Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Bajor is joined.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura, Milos, Joro, and Samek are in their usual positions, with SUPERNUMERARIES at various stations. Lura's face is grim. No one on the bridge has slept well in a while. On the viewscreen, two small dots of light are getting larger.

Lura

Magnify.

The viewscreen adjusts. We see that the two dots of light are two Borg cubes.

Lura

Battle stations. Tactical display.

The ship goes to RED ALERT. A holographic tactical display appears.

Lura

Milos, give me the fleet.

Milos

Channel open, sir.

Lura

This is Captain Lura. By now you will have detected two Borg type 01 cubes on an intercept course. That may seem daunting, but remember: the reason the Collective is sending two cubes is because they're worried we can destroy one. If we can destroy one, we can destroy two. We have assembled a fleet like none ever assembled before. Which of you - Tzenkethi, Breen, Tholians, Talarians - ever thought you would be fighting together alongside the Federation? Today we are allies in the fight for our most fundamental right: the right to exist. We must protect our evacuating civilians at all costs. If we can keep them safe, then no sacrifice we make today will be too large. Lura out.

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

A massive broadside of torpedos from the starbase roars past the assembled fleet and smashes into the Borg cubes in a mighty thunder. The fast, numble raiders of the Tzenkethi warfleet race out from among the larger capital ships and swarm the nearer of the cubes, flying low and close over the surface and hammering the cube with disruptor fire. The cube fires energy weapons at the fighters; most of them are fast enough to avoid them, but one of the Tzenkethi is hit and crashes into the cube's surface. As the cube nabs the Prakesh with a tractor beam, the Defiant-class USS Archer and the Lakarian City roar past, phaser cannons blasting, and the tractor beam is disabled long enough for the Prakesh to pull back and fire a spread of torpedos.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Aboard the Lakarian City, Lura stands, watching the battle unfurl in miniature via the holographic display.

Lura

Tzenkethi wing, break! Breen wing, now! Starbase, covering fire!

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The Tzenkethi peel away from the cube just in time to avoid another barrage of torpedos from the starbase, but one Tzenkethi raider is captured by a Borg tractor beam and is being pulled in. The Breen ships fly into frame and fire their energy dampening weapons at the Borg. The Borg ship suddenly stops returning fire and the tractor beam releases, freeing the Tzenkethi ship.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura punches his hand in triumph.

Lura

They're down! Tholian wing, move in! Bajorans, cover the Tholians! Samok, put us between the two cubes. Prakesh and Archer, form up on us.

INT. BRIDGE, THOLIAN VESSEL

Aboard one of the Tholian ships, hellishly lit by the dull red light preferred by their species. The THOLIAN PILOT is the only crew member on the small command deck, surrounded by consoles reachable by its many legs. It "speaks" with a pattern of CLICKS and CHIRPS which are translated into SUBTITLES.

Tholian Pilot

All Tholian vessels, form up with the Federation escorts. Prepare web pattern 0815. For the hive!

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

As the Breen and Tzenkethi fall back, a wing of Tholian vessels, each with two Bajoran fighters flying close escort, begins forming an energy web around the disabled Borg cube. As the second cube moves in to assist, the three Federation starships fly in in formation and blast the cube with everything they have. It's enough to slow the second cube down, and as the web begins to constrict around the first cube, it's beginning to look like the day might be won.

But the Borg are not so easily dealt with. The first cube powers back up and emits a burst of energy outward in a spherical pattern. The burst sends the Tholian and Bajoran ships careening in all directions, with the Tholians still trailing their energy streams. Several of the Tholians and Bajorans collide with each other; others collide with the energy streams and are instantly destroyed. As the Tholian web disintegrates, the Borg cube moves off toward the evacuation fleet.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura's eyes are on the main viewer as the Lakarian City makes another low pass over the second cube, so it is Milos who sees that the Tholian web has collapsed.

Milos

Captain, the Tholians!

Lura looks over and sees the Borg ship moving away from the scattered fleet.

Lura

Damn! Breen wing, get back in there! Try those energy dissipators again! Any ship that can get between the cube and the evac fleet, move now!

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The second Borg cube snares the Archer with a tractor beam and slices it cleanly in half with a cutting beam. As the ship's engines sputter and die, we see bodies falling into space. The cube fires a volley of shots at the Prakesh and the Lakarian City. As both ships take sharp evasive maneuvers, the left side of the Prakesh collides with an errant Tzenkethi ship, destroying the Tzenkethi ship and sending the Prakesh spiraling out of control.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Milos

Sir, the Prakesh's port engines are severely damaged. They can't regain helm control.

Lura

Samok, it's down to you. They've never seen a ship like this and don't understand how it works. Continue evasive maneuvers, and don't use the same move twice.

Samok

Aye sir. They're staying with us.

Lura

Of course they are, we're the newest, shiniest piece of tech out here. Well, if they want us, let them chase us. Course 274 mark 16, full impulse.

Samok

Sir, that course takes us...

Lura

I know. Joro, prepare to switch to metaphasic shielding on my mark.

Joro

Sir, trimatrix shielding will be much more effective against a Borg tractor beam.

Lura

I know. I need metaphasic. Milos, where are my damned Breen?

INT. BRIDGE, BREEN SHIP

Aboard the lead Breen ship, the first Borg cube looms closer on the viewscreen. Even on their own ships, the Breen wear environmental suits. They speak in their distorted, unintelligible language, with SUBTITLES. The ship's CAPTAIN, a TACTICAL OFFICER, and several SUPERNUMERARIES are on the bridge.

Breen Captain

All ships, fire energy dissipators!

Breen Tactical

Direct hits, leader. Their main power grid is down.

Breen Captain

Good. Switch to conventional weapons, full spread, and fire at...

Breen Tactical

Leader - they're rerouting power!

Breen Captain

What? That's impossible! Fire dissipators again!

Breen Tactical

No effect! Their power distribution system is unlike anything I've seen. The redundancies have redundancies!

Breen Captain

All weapons free! Fire at will!

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The Breen ships fire conventional weapons at the Borg, but to no effect. The Borg cube fires a volley of green plasma missiles which batter the Breen ships badly. Most are destroyed, but the lead ship struggles on despite heavy damage.

INT. BRIDGE, BREEN SHIP

Breen Tactical

Hull breaches on all decks! Life support is offline and cryomatrix is failing! Heat levels are rising!

Breen Captain

All hands to escape craft! Abandon ship! Abandon...

Breen Tactical

Intruder alert!

Six Borg drones materialize on the command deck. The Breen reach for their weapons and fire, but after the first two drones go down, the others adapt and shield themselves against the disruptor blasts. As his crew is being assimilated all around him, the Breen captain manages one last command...

Breen Captain

Computer, initiate autodestruct.

As a Borg drone grabs him and shoves its assimilation tubules into the Breen's neck...

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The Breen ship, caught in the Borg tractor beam, explodes, saving its crew from assimilation at the cost of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some like it hot, some like it cold, and here we get to meet both: the Tholians ([TOS: "The Tholian Web"](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tholian_Web_\(episode\)), [ENT: "Future Tense"](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Future_Tense_\(episode\)) and "[In a Mirror, Darkly](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/In_a_Mirror,_Darkly_\(episode\))") and the Breen (DS9 season 7). To date I am unaware of any Trek species who like it in the pot nine days old (though I understand Bolians do prefer their meat well-aged).
> 
> If you feel that I didn't give the Breen energy dissipators enough credit, and that they should have been able to keep a Borg ship disabled, recall that the Borg possessed much of the knowledge of an Admiral Janeway from an alternate timeline's 2404, who would certainly have been well-aware of the Breen weapons.
> 
> And hey, here's the USS Archer. At the time I first wrote this (before Discovery) there were plausible in-universe reasons for Janeway, Sisko, Picard, and Kirk (or at least a Nexus echo of the latter two) to show up, but nothing for Archer. I felt I owed him at least a mention, ENT's many problems notwithstanding. And just like DS9 kicked off the Dominion War storyline by blowing up [a Galaxy-class ship](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/USS_Odyssey), I get to kick off my Borg invasion storyline by blowing up both an Intrepid-class **and** a Defiant-class in the pilot episode.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	9. Part 2, Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Bajor continues, and the Lakarian City wins a crucial victory at a very high cost.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

The viewscreen shows the Bajoran sun, getting larger and larger very quickly.

Milos

Captain, the Breen wing has been lost.

Lura

Damn! I was sure those energy weapons would give us longer than that. How long until we reach the sun's corona?

Milos

Ninety seconds, sir. The cube is still in pursuit.

The ship is rocked by a blast as the Borg ship fires on them.

Lura

So it is.

Milos

Do you really think that intentionally setting off a stellar flare to destroy the Borg cube will work?

Lura

Not a chance. It's the oldest trick in the book and it's exactly what they're expecting us to do. We're going to do something much, much stupider.

Milos

Sir?

Lura looks over at the holographic display.

Lura

The other cube is almost on top of the evacuation fleet. Isn't there _anyone_ there who can help them?

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The other cube has, in fact, caught up with a Federation civilian transport ship and attempts to capture it in a tractor beam. As the transport dodges, a wing of Bajoran fighters comes in, phasers blazing, but are shot down.

INT. BRIDGE, TALARIAN VESSEL

Aboard one of the Talarian vessels, which have so far played no role in the combat. The TALARIAN CAPTAIN, his XO (half-Human and blond-haired), and SUPERNUMERARIES (all male) are on the bridge.

Talarian XO

bowing slightly

Captain, sir!

Talarian Captain

Report.

Talarian XO

The Borg are engaging a Federation civilian transport. Their shields are almost gone and there's no one else in range to help them.

Talarian Captain

Excellent. This is our chance to show the power of the Talarian Empire! Move us in, arm all lasers and rockets!

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The Talarian fleet moves in to defend the transport. They fire lasers and merculite rockets, but their hopelessly outdated weapons do nothing against the Borg cube, which ignores them completely as it snags the transport in its tractor beam.

INT. BRIDGE, TALARIAN VESSEL

Talarian XO

Captain, sir, our weapons had no effect. The Borg... they're ignoring us.

Talarian Captain

Ignoring...?

Talarian XO

They've got the Federation ship in a tractor beam, sir. We should withdraw.

Talarian Captain

All ships, set a collision course. Aim us at the tractor beam emitter.

Talarian XO

Sir, it's a Federation transport. Let the Federation save them!

Talarian Captain

How do you want Talar to be remembered when this day is done, first officer?

The XO bows.

Talarian XO

Setting course, my captain.

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The Talarian ships fly directly into the tractor beam emitter, disrupting it long enough for the transport ship to escape and make it to the wormhole.

EXT. CORONA, BAJORAN SUN

The Lakarian City flies through the stellar corona, its metaphasic shielding flickering as it does so. The Borg ship follows at a cautious distance.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura leans over Joro's shoulder at the tactical console.

Joro

The Borg ship is keeping just enough distance to outrun the Moreton wave from any flare or stellar fusion eruption we could start.

Lura

That's no surprise. How long will the metaphasic shielding hold?

Joro

It's remarkably stable, Captain. It could hold for hours, assuming the Borg don't start shooting.

Lura

I doubt they will; it could damage them as much as us. I'm more worried about them getting bored and wandering off. Milos, send all sensor data to the science station.

Lura goes to a science station at the back of the bridge, where an image of the sun is displayed with various readings of magnetic activity, radiation, etc.

Lura

Samok, alter course eighteen degrees starboard, maintain this altitude.

Samok

Course correction made.

Lura

Good. Decrease speed 16%. Altitude up two kilometers. Plot an escape course and prepare for warp on my mark.

Samok

Aye sir.

Milos

The Borg ship is maintaining distance.

Lura

They're still waiting for us to try and spawn a stellar flare. But I'm not _going_ to spawn a stellar flare. I'm going to go where the flare already is.

EXT. CORONA, BAJORAN SUN

As the two ships roar over a sunspot, a stellar flare erupts out of nowhere at almost exactly the location of the cube. The cube is engulfed almost immediately, and its own metaphasic shielding fails as the cube is torn apart by the violent flare.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura looks up from the science console.

Lura

Impulse, Samok, full impulse now!

Samok

Aye sir.

EXT. CORONA, BAJORAN SUN

The Lakarian City pulls up hard an instant before the expanding flare can engulf the ship.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Lura returns to his captain's chair.

Lura

Good flying, Samok. Maintain full impulse and take us back to Starbase 901 as fast as we can get there.

Samok

Aye sir.

Milos

How did you know where the flare would form?

Lura

Flares on the Bajoran sun have a unique radio signature, unlike most other F-type stars. I was gambling that they hadn't assimilated any experts in Bajoran stellar dynamics.

Milos

And if you don't mind me asking, how did _you_ become an expert on Bajoran stellar dynamics?

Lura

An old friend of mine used to be the science officer on the starbase. She knew this system better than almost anyone. She's the one who taught me to fly, and she took me into the sun one day.

Samok

Sir, we're arriving at the starbase, but...

Milos

in a whisper

Prophets, no...

EXT. NEAR STARBASE 901

The surviving Borg cube and Starbase 901 are in a direct firefight. The starbase's massive arsenal is directed entirely at the cube, but is having minimal effect. The Borg, meanwhile, are slowly but methodically demolishing the starbase's shielding.

INT. OPS, STARBASE 901

Ops is a mess, with casualties all around, consoles sparking, and most of the power out. Admiral Fletcher is bleeding heavily from a nasty cut across her forehead, but waves away an approaching medic. The Cardassian lieutenant is still uninjured, but he is in the minority.

Cardassian Lieutenant

Sir, shield failure is imminent.

Fletcher

Where's the Lakarian City?

Cardassian Lieutenant

Too far to make a difference, Admiral.

Fletcher

Rotate phaser frequencies!

Cardassian Lieutenant

No change, sir; phasers are having no effect on the cube.

Fletcher

Then rotate them again, goddammit!

The station is rocked by an EXPLOSION.

Cardassian Lieutenant

Shields are down!

Fletcher draws her sidearm. She hits the com and a BOSUN'S WHISTLE plays.

Fletcher

All hands, prepare to be boarded!

Cardassian Lieutenant

I'm not seeing transporter signatures, sir. They're...

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

On the viewscreen, we see the Borg fire directly at the central hub of the station. The station EXPLODES.

Lura

No, no, no!

The Borg fire again, targeting any pieces of the station which survived the explosion. They don't stop firing until there is nothing left of Starbase 901. The bridge of the Lakarian City falls silent.

Milos

The Starbase... home of the Emissary... the gateway to the Celestial Temple...

Joro

Fifteen hundred people... they didn't even try to assimilate them.

Lura

The starbase is sixty years old. The time it would have taken to assimilate it would have allowed more civilians to escape through the wormhole. A cold, calculating cost-benefit analysis.

Samok

Orders, sir?

Lura

Orders haven't changed, Ensign. We defend the evacuation fleet. Set a course for that cube. Is anybody else still flying?

Milos

The Prakesh has fallen back to repair its port engines. The surviving Tholians have retreated. There are still some Tzenkethi fighting, along with about a dozen Bajoran fighters, but they're in disarray.

Lura

All ships except the Prakesh, regroup and form up on us. Hail the Tholians and tell them that this is not the day to disappoint me. Then ask them if they really think the Assembly will survive the week if we don't stop the Borg here and now. 

Milos

Aye sir.

Lura studies the tactical display for a moment.

Lura

Joro, what's that ship the Borg are moving to intercept?

Joro

It's a Ferengi transport, sir. There's an escort ship moving to intercept - looks like the Daughters of the River.

Lura

Then let's go join them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's the [Talarians](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Talarian)! Those guys _suck!_ Okay, maybe it was a bit of a coincidence that the XO on the ship was [half-Human and blond](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jono), but it _was_ the Talarian flagship and the PR coup of Jono staying with his adoptive father Endar was one of the only victories those patriarchal motherfuckers were gonna get with lasers and merculite rockets, so it would make sense that Jono's kids would be politically well-connected.
> 
> Well, now we know why Kejal wanted [metaphasic shields](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Metaphasic_shield). I mean, if you're anything like me, which for your own sake I hope you aren't, you knew as soon as I said "metaphasic shields". I believe this would mark the _fourth_ time that a solar flare was weaponized in Trek - Kurn, Martok, and Beverly Crusher (with the help of [Ensign Taitt](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Taitt)) have all used that trick - but there's at least a _bit_ of a twist here as Kejal didn't trigger his on purpose. (A [Moreton wave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreton_wave) is an actual thing, by the way. That's right, I'm bringing that _real_ stellar dynamics shit. Well.. real- _ish_.)
> 
> In my last note, when I talked about destroying both an Intrepid-class and a Defiant-class ship, I forgot that I'd also blown up DS9 too. For what it's worth, I think Deram was wrong; the normal complement may have been around 1,500 in peacetime, but Fletcher was no fool and would surely have gotten most non-essential personnel onto evacuation ships.
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	10. Part 2, Act 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Bajor comes to its conclusion.

EXT. NEAR THE BAJORAN WORMHOLE

The Borg cube locks a tractor beam on a Ferengi transport, but DaiMon Feska's ship, the Kenales Fedalu (an older but heavily upgraded D'Kora-class, repainted in the blue and gold livery of the Daughters of the River) flies out of nowhere directly into the tractor beam. This frees the transport ship, which heads for the wormhole, but leaves the Kenales Fedalu trapped in its stead.

INT. BRIDGE, KENALES FEDALU

DaiMon Feska sprawls comfortably in the captain's chair, apparently unconcerned by the fact that her ship is now trapped by the Borg. Flanking her in the narrow bridge are SULFO, at tactical, and MURUSH, at the helm/ops station. Both are Ferengi women, as are all of Feska's crew.

Murush

DaiMon, we're now caught in the tractor beam.

Sulfo

The client is free and is resuming course to the wormhole.

Feska

Good. We'll give them a moment to get some distance.

She waits for a moment while the other two exchange a nervous glance.

Feska

That should do. Sulfo, all port cannons fire.

EXT. NEAR THE BAJORAN WORMHOLE

No fewer than six disruptor cannons unfold from the Kenales Fedalu and open up a devastating broadside on the Borg ship. Apparently, even the Borg are surprised, because the tractor beam falters for a split second - long enough for the Kenales Fedalu to bank hard to starboard.

INT. BRIDGE, KENALES FEDALU

Feska

Good flying, sister Murush. Sulfo, the Borg adapt quickly to energy weapons but have a harder time with projectiles. Switch to ballistics.

Sulfo

Loading ballistic projectile launchers, DaiMon.

Murush

DaiMon, the Federation ship Lakarian City is hailing us.

Feska

Put them through.

Spotlight on Feska; Lura appears via holocommunicator.

Lura

DaiMon Feska. A pleasure to meet you again.

Feska

Likewise, cube-killer. That was a good trick you pulled earlier - think you can do it again?

Lura

Somehow I doubt it. But if we work together, we might stop two cubes today.

Feska

My contract is with the Ferengi transport I just saved. Once they make it to the wormhole, my work is done. I don't plan to stick around.

Lura

I understand you're a businesswoman. Let's talk business.

Feska

Your Federation is destroyed, Bajoran. You have no latinum, and latinum is what interests the Daughters of the River. Wishing you good luck is free, though... so good luck, cube-killer.

Lura

I can...

Feska motions to Murush, who cuts the communication. Lura disappears.

Feska

He'll need more than luck to survive the day.

Sulfo

Three gallakel from the wormhole, DaiMon. The cube seems more interested in us right now.

Feska

Let's keep it that way. Fire ballistics, full spread!

EXT. NEAR THE BAJORAN WORMHOLE

The Kenales Fedalu fires a massive barrage of ballistic projectiles - hundreds of slugs of heavy metal, launched at relativistic speed. They impact the cube with a powerful EXPLOSION, causing serious damage. The cube turns on its axis, protecting its damaged face, and moves in on the Ferengi ship. Kenales Fedalu dodges as another tractor beam glances against its shields and fires another barrage. This time, though, the cube is ready: it responds with a hail of plasma fire, vaporizing the Ferengi missiles before they can strike. A tractor beam targets the ship, which feints port - right into a second tractor beam.

INT. BRIDGE, KENALES FEDALU

The bridge shakes as the second tractor beam locks on.

Murush

They have us again. They're using the beam to drain our shields.

Feska

Aft cannons!

Sulfo fires cannons and shakes her head.

Sulfo

No effect, DaiMon.

Feska

Murush, where is the Federation ship?

Murush

The remains of their fleet has engaged the cube on the face that we damaged with our first volley.

Feska

No help there. Ideas, sisters?

Sulfo

I can send a repulsor wave up the tractor beam. It may disrupt it for a moment.

Feska

Do it.

EXT. NEAR THE BAJORAN WORMHOLE

The Kenales Fedalu, still trapped by the Borg cube, sends a golden pulse of energy up the tractor beam. The beam flickers momentarily, but holds, and then the Borg ship sends a green pulse of energy back down the beam...

INT. BRIDGE, KENALES FEDALU

Sulfo's console EXPLODES as the surge of energy hits. Sulfo is sent sprawling backwards, bleeding from a shrapnel wound to the ear. She KEENS in pain as only a Ferengi can. Feska rushes to her side, rips off a piece of her clothing, and bandages the wound.

Feska

They sent a pulse back down the beam. Murush, shield status!

Murush

Down to 10%. DaiMon - the client is entering the wormhole.

Feska

Then the contract will be completed no matter what happens to us.

Feska helps the wounded Sulfo back to her feet.

Feska

Sisters, are you ready to die here today, knowing that the profit we have earned will pass to our sisters, who would have been equally willing to die for our profit?

Sulfo

I go where the Great River takes me, DaiMon.

Feska

Then get ready. The Borg will send boarding parties soon.

She draws her long jassak knives.

Feska

They can adapt to phasers and disruptors, but let's see them adapt to eleven inches of Cardassian parsteel.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

The bridge of the Lakarian City shakes as it takes a hit from a Borg weapon.

Lura

Lieutenant?

Joro

They hit us with a tractor beam, but our shields deflected it. All ships are targeting the tractor emitter now.

Milos

Sir, the Ferengi cruiser's not so lucky. They're caught by a tractor beam and their shields are failing.

Lura

Damn! I was starting to like that ship. They're still on the far side of the cube?

Milos

Yes sir, but that side of the cube is almost undamaged, while this side has had almost all of its weaponry destroyed. Aiding them would be suicide.

Lura

They're the ones who damaged this face, Milos, and they're the reason the cube can't just spin on its axis and show us an undamaged face.

Milos

You offered them an alliance. They turned you down.

Joro

We're doing damage, sir, but they're repairing almost as fast as we can hit them. They could last for hours under this barrage.

The ship shakes from another blast.

Lura

We can't.

INT. BRIDGE, KENALES FEDALU

The cramped bridge is now an open combat zone, with the three Ferengi, each armed with a pair of long knives, standing in a tight triangle fighting off Borg drones in close combat. Their fighting style is not dissimilar from eskrima or krav maga \- brutal, unadorned, and effective. Ferengi are strong for their size and very fast, and these three have been trained in personal combat since they were teenagers. The bodies of several drones strewn on the floor bear witness to their effectiveness. However, the drones keep coming, and the Ferengi are getting tired. One drone catches Murush by the neck and injects her with assimilation tubules.

Sulfo

Murush!

Sulfo stabs the drone in the arm, forcing it to drop Murush. Murush brings the drone to the ground with a sweep of the legs, but then collapses in pain. She touches the twin marks of the tubules on her neck. Grey spreads across her skin, following the course of her blood vessels, as the nanoprobes enter her bloodstream.

Murush

DaiMon... invest my share well.

Given the choice between assimilation and death, Murush chooses to fall on her blade.

Feska and Sulfo fight on back-to-back, but Sulfo's injured ear is bleeding through the impromptu bandage, and she is clearly in a lot of pain. When a drone strikes her hard against her injured ear, she CRIES OUT and drops to one knee. That's enough for the drone to inject her in the back of the neck before she can react. Sulfo slices upwards with her knife, driving it deep into the Borg's thoracic cavity and disabling it... but again, it is too late. Sulfo falls to the ground and seizes as the assimilation process begins.

Feska is cut off from her by the advancing drones. She is surrounded on all sides and her strength is flagging. She HISSES like an angry cat.

Feska

I'll chop you into pieces too small to sell for that!

But as the drones move in, Feska is BEAMED OUT by a Federation transporter beam...

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

Feska materializes directly on the bridge of the Lakarian City with her jassak blades still in hand. As Lura turns towards her, she raises her blades threateningly for a moment.

Feska

My crew!

Lura

Yours was the last Ferengi life sign aboard, DaiMon. I'm sorry.

Feska

Then destroy my ship!

Lura

We need the Borg to keep their tractor beam locked onto it for as long as possible so they can't rotate away.

Feska

Do you know what they're turning my sisters into?

Lura

Yes. DaiMon, either we'll have time to talk soon or none of us will be talking soon, but right now I need to focus on the battle. If you could wait in my ready room...

Feska

I'm not going anywhere!

Lura

Then please stay out of the way.

She obliges, grudgingly, and retreats to the back of the bridge.

Joro

Captain, the cube has repaired weapons in grid square F-24-36.

Lura

All ships, target that grid and...

The ship is hit with a massive BLAST aimed directly at the bridge, sending the crew flying. The holoemitters fail and the tactical display flickers and dies. Lura lands hard on his left shoulder and SCREAMS in pain. A piece of the hull tears off the ceiling right above Joro's station, leaving a hole large enough to see the stars through. Joro is whipped off her feet by the force of the explosive decompression before the structural integrity forcefield seals the breach. Joro is thrown across the bridge and falls heavily on her neck. Milos runs to her as Lura gets to his feet, holding his arm. He has a broken clavicle.

Lura

Report!

Feska, the only uninjured person standing near tactical, rushes to take Joro's place.

Feska

Hull breach on decks one and two. Structural integrity forcefields are holding. Shields are down. Phasers are offline. Requesting casualty reports from all decks. The other ships report that the Borg weapon has been disabled again.

Milos

Joro's dead, Kejal.

Lura

Milos, resume your station.

Milos sees for the first time how badly Lura is injured. She presses her COMMUNICATOR.

Milos

Medic to the bridge.

Lura

Belay that. It's just a broken collarbone, I can...

There is the sound of a TORPEDO LAUNCH. Lura looks up the viewscreen in time to see the Kenales Fedalu explode. He turns back to see Feska still at tactical. When he speaks, there is ice in his voice.

Lura

Get off my bridge.

Feska

You would have done the same.

She walks off the bridge into the observation room and Milos takes the tactical station.

Milos

Captain, the cube is rotating!

EXT. NEAR THE BAJORAN WORMHOLE

Without the Kenales Fedalu to anchor it, the Borg cube is free to turn on its axis, rotating the damaged face away and an undamaged face towards the Lakarian City and the other surviving ships. Lakarian City turns to withdraw, but too slowly; a tractor beam captures the ship. As the Lakarian City is held helpless by the tractor beam, a Borg cutting beam neatly slices off the warp nacelles.

INT. BRIDGE, USS LAKARIAN CITY

The ship shakes and CREAKS as its structural integrity field is pushed to the limit. The lights dim, and the field spanning the hull breach on the bridge fluctuates worryingly.

Milos

Captain, they've severed the warp nacelles! We're venting plasma, engines are offline, and main power is fluctuating.

Lura

All hands, abandon ship.

The ABANDON SHIP siren begins to sound.

Milos

Request permission to...

Lura

Denied, Commander. I need you getting people onto the escape pods. That forcefield holding the bridge together won't last long. That means you too, Samok.

Samok

Respectfully, Captain...

Lura

I don't need a helm officer when my ship is dead in space, ensign. Go!

The bridge crew reluctantly file out.

Milos

Captain... you are coming, right?

Lura

I've got a plan to buy you a few extra minutes.

Milos

Sir, I...

Lura

The captain is the last one home, Telor. Go, before the turbolifts lose power.

Milos nods and leaves. Lura awkwardly draws his phaser with his right hand, wincing as he does. The door to the observation room opens and he raises his weapon - but it's Feska, not the Borg.

Lura

DaiMon, take turbolift 2 to deck three. My first officer will make sure you get onto an escape pod.

Feska

I thought you might need help - for the right price.

Lura

I can't pay.

Feska

Given the circumstances, I'll work on credit.

Lura

I'm not planning on leaving this bridge alive, DaiMon. There's no point in staying.

Feska

Your phaser won't stop more than one or two of them before they adapt.

Lura

I wasn't planning to shoot the Borg. I was planning to shoot that.

He points to the flickering forcefield above the tactical station.

Feska

You couldn't hit a planet with your arm flopping around like that. Here.

She removes her jacket and ties the sleeves together, making a crude sling, which she uses to support Lura's left arm.

Lura

Thank you.

Feska

Don't thank me; you haven't seen the bill for that jacket.

She checks the tactical console.

Feska

Borg transporter signatures on multiple decks. Looks like they're more interested in your ship than your crew; escape pods are launching.

Lura

Why are you here, DaiMon?

Feska doesn't look up from the console.

Feska

Where else should I go? My ship is gone. My crew is gone. My profits were held in the Bank of Bolias, which just got wiped out by whatever you Federation fools are doing to destroy subspace. Without money, I can't buy a new ship. Without a ship, I'm not a DaiMon. And if I'm not a DaiMon...

There is a faint THUNK, and the lights flicker.

Feska

The Borg cube is releasing us. They saw a fat transport ship that made for a better meal. The Fuseli.

Lura

The Fuseli is carrying over 40,000 Cardassian refugees. Do we have enough power to put it on visual?

Feska puts the chase on the monitor, which flickers with static, but shows the Borg cube moving after the Fuseli, a slender and beautiful civilian luxury liner pressed into service as a transport for the evacuation. The Borg ship is almost on top of it.

Suddenly, the Prakesh comes into view with a wing of Tholian ships, making straight for the cube.

Lura

The Prakesh! And the Tholians! Maybe they can...

On the viewer, the Borg cube fires on the Tholian ships, destroying them instantly. The Prakesh doesn't even slow down; knowing all is hopeless, it dips its wings in a salute before smashing into the cube at full impulse.

Feska

They bought the Fuseli a few seconds, but the Borg are right behind them.

The wormhole opens and the Fuseli enters. The Borg cube follows on its heels, but a jet of energy from inside the wormhole rushes out, vaporizing the cube.

Feska

But... what?

Lura

Huh. They actually did it. I hope Milos saw that. We won, DaiMon. We actually won.

The turbolift doors open and a group of five Borg drones enter. As Feska raises her knives and Lura his phaser, the opposite turbolift door opens and more Borg enter.

Lura

Too bad no one told _them_ that. Are you ready?

Feska

Do it.

Lura raises his phaser and aims it at the flickering forcefield. But before he can fire, the bridge is lit by four Federation transporter signals. It is Janeway, Smith, Argall, and Icheb, each carrying a TR-118 rifle. They open fire on the Borg, who fall quickly before the rain of bullets. Lura and Feska stare on uncomprehending.

Janeway

Sorry we're late. Kathryn Janeway, Borg Special Task Force.

On the viewer, the USS Resistance decloaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenales Fedalu means "dead slaver". Feska likes to explain that it's named for the Orion Syndicate member who used to own her when she was a child ("used to" being the key phrase there). On paper it was just an old D'Kora-class marauder, not the sort of thing you'd expect to get two good shots off at a Borg cube. But suffice it say that Feska and her crew put many of their profits back into upgrading the ship - and Feska and her crew were _very_ profitable.
> 
> The TR-118 rifle is a modification of the [TR-116](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/TR-116_rifle) prototype from DS9 "[Field of Fire](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Field_of_Fire_\(episode\))", developed specifically for the Borg Special Task Force as a countermeasure against the near-perfect ability of a Borg drone to adapt to energy weapons. As mentioned, the Borg find it more difficult (but not impossible) to adapt to kinetic energy projectiles.
> 
> Oh, and the Fuseli is _totally_ just named for the painter Henry Fuseli and definitely _not_ for [a decommissioned luxury battle cruiser turned art museum turned recommissioned luxury battle cruiser](http://starslip.chainsawsuit.com/).
> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


	11. Part 2, Act 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With victory won, albeit at an enormous cost, the crews of the Lakarian City and the Resistance have some difficult decisions to make.

INT. GUEST QUARTERS, USS RESISTANCE

Lura, wearing a silk robe, stands at the window staring at the Bajoran wormhole, which is opening as another convoy of evacuation ships passes through. A medical device which is helping knit his broken bone is attached to his clavicle. The door CHIMES.

Lura

Enter.

The door opens and Janeway enters.

Janeway

Captain Lura. How's your shoulder?

Lura

Much better, Admiral, thank you.

Janeway

I have some good news. Dr Lee was able to interrupt the assimilation process, though not without some nerve damage. Commander Milos will be back to fighting shape with a few weeks of aggressive physical therapy. You can visit any time.

Lura

sotto voce

Thank the Prophets.

Janeway

Commander Icheb was able to stabilize the Lakarian City with a power transfer. You and your survivors will be able to return to recover personal items before we scuttle it. And we've found a Vulcan ship which has agreed to take you all to the Gamma Quadrant, if that's what you still want.

Lura

My mother thinks I should run for election as administrator of the Gamma Quadrant colonies.

Janeway

You deserve it. You saved a few billion lives today, Captain.

Lura

I'm not sure that dealing with the largest refugee crisis in recorded history is what I had in mind for a reward.

Janeway

You have another option if you want it. I need good officers.

Lura

I heard your tactical officer is stuck on Andoria with Captain Shar. You should take on DaiMon Feska for the job.

Janeway

I don't make a habit of _hiring_ officers, especially ones I can't trust. You told me she contravened your express orders.

Lura

She wasn't under contract to me at the time. Make a contract. A contract with the Daughters is every bit as strong as a Starfleet oath. Oh, and she'll want an exorbitant sum to replace a jacket she gave me - keep her under two bars.

Janeway

I'll take it under advisement. But it's you I'm looking for. You destroyed three Borg cubes, despite the fact that they'd adapted to all your weapons.

Lura

I didn't destroy them, Admiral - a transwarp conduit, a stellar flare, and the Prophets did that, and at a very high price. And frankly, after six years as a captain, I don't think I'd take well to being commanded again.

Janeway

I'm eighty-four years old, Captain Lura. I've retired once already. This was never meant to be my ship, but then Captain Shar went and picked the wrong week for a holiday.

Lura

Are you offering me the Resistance?

Janeway

We broke the Borg offensive today. We estimate that 80% of their fleet is either destroyed or cut off from the Collective. But they're not gone.

Lura

I'm not a military man, Admiral. And frankly, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with some of the decisions you made. The Omega devices may have saved the homeworlds, but they also cut us off from twenty billion people and almost all of the Federation's institutions.

Janeway

Good. Anyone who feels comfortable with a decision like that isn't someone I want in charge of my ship. I want the Federation to survive, Captain. Not a collection of planets, but a United Federation of Planets, home of explorers and scientists and, above all, peacemakers. I can't do that job. This invasion is happening because of mistakes _I_ made, and I can't be the person this ship or the Federation needs because of it.

Lura

I need to talk to my crew, Admiral, and to my family.

Janeway

Of course. I'll be on the bridge.

INT. SICKBAY, USS RESISTANCE

In the background, Samok is sitting upright on a bio-bed, his head bandaged, reading a massive printed book on the cultural impact of the Interface on early 21st century Earth. Other Lakarian City survivors fill the other bio-beds. In the foreground, Milos is lying supine on a surgical bio-bed, with Dr Lee standing over xir. Xir skin is splotchy and one of xir eyes has turned white. When xie speaks, it is in little more than a whisper. Lee looks up to see Captain Lura entering.

Lee

Ah, Captain. Commander Milos is awake and looking forward to speaking with you.

Lura

Thank you, Doctor. Can we have a moment?

Lee

Of course. I have more of your crew to attend to.

He leaves.

Milos

What do I look like?

Lura

Like you died but nobody told you.

Milos smiles.

Milos

Dr Lee said it might have been easier to just let me be assimilated and then rescue me.

Lura

Samok tells me you tried to fight off three drones in hand-to-hand combat. You're really committing to this hero lifestyle, huh?

Milos

Oh, I'm done with heroism for a while, I think. Once we get to the Gamma Quadrant I'm going to find a nice little monastery, finish healing up, and take holy orders.

Lura

Yeah?

Milos

The Prophets showed us their power today. Today's victory is theirs, not ours. And you, Captain? What will you do next?

Lura

Admiral Janeway invited me to stay on as captain of the Resistance. It's tempting, but... I don't know, I feel like I have a responsibility to the Gamma Quadrant colonies.

Milos tries to lift xir hand, but xie is weak. Lura takes xir hand and, seeing what xie is trying to do, lifts it to his ear. Milos grips his earlobe in the Bajoran manner and nods.

Milos

You must go where your pagh leads you, Captain. The colonies - and your mother - will understand that.

Lura

Maybe. I'm sorry we didn't get more time to work together, Commander.

Milos

Just promise to come visit me when I make prylar.

Lura

Knowing you, you'll be Kai by winter's end. Go with the Prophets, Telor.

Milos

And you, Kejal. And you.

INT. ENGINEERING, USS RESISTANCE

The warp/transwarp hub has been powered down and partially disassembled. Icheb is leading a team of SUPERNUMERARIES conducting a tetryon purge. Each is dressed in a special jumpsuit and wears gloves and a small face mask. They are holding tools which emit a beam that neutralizes tetryon particles and using them to clean individual small components of the drive. Icheb notices an enlisted crew member moving too quickly and stops them.

Icheb

No, that's too fast. Slow, even strokes. Otherwise we'll end up having to do the whole job over again. Let me see it again.

The crew member does it again, more slowly and evenly this time. Icheb nods curtly. Commander Prakasha appears at the far end of engineering.

Prakasha

Commander Icheb, do you have a moment?

Icheb hands off his tool and walks back toward Prakasha. As he crosses through a protective forcefield he pulls down his face mask.

Icheb

Yes, Commander?

Prakasha

I wanted to check on the status of the tetryon purge. I want us to be able to leave as soon as the Lakarian City crew is offloaded.

Icheb

We're a few minutes behind schedule. The Resistance has been in orbit for four years; most of the enlisted crew have no experience with this procedure.

Prakasha

Would holographic laborers speed things up?

Icheb shakes his head.

Icheb

I shut down the holoemitters around the hub. Mwezi is concerned that tetryon radiation might cause systemic issues with the holomatrix.

Prakasha

That seems a bit overcautious, but if the Chief thinks it's necessary...

Icheb

My thoughts exactly. I still think we'll be ready by the time the Vulcans come for Captain Lura and his crew.

Prakasha purses her lips.

Prakasha

Captain Lura will, apparently, be staying.

Icheb

Staying? In what capacity?

Prakasha

As captain of the Resistance.

Icheb

What? What about the Admiral?

Prakasha

She says she's ready to retire again.

Icheb

That's ridiculous. She's only 84. And if anyone should take over for her, it should be _you_ , Roushan. You've been first officer on this ship for your entire life.

Prakasha

Perhaps the Admiral felt that a hologram wasn't up to the job.

Icheb

Not Janeway. She's served alongside holograms for forty years. Do we know anything about this Captain Lura? I've never heard of him.

Prakasha

His record is solid, but light on serious combat. He has a decent head for tactics, but all of his greatest victories, today's included, were largely won by diplomacy.

Icheb

A diplomat's not going to do much good against an enemy who doesn't negotiate. I'll talk to the Admiral. Maybe we can still stop this.

Prakasha

I can't condone that, Icheb. The chain of command...

Icheb

I'm as good as family. She'll listen to me.

He stalks off toward the turbolift. Prakasha SIGHS and turns to follow.

INT. BORG QUEEN'S CHAMBER

The Borg Queen stares at a holographic readout in Borg syllabics. She dismisses it with an uncharacteristic display of anger.

Queen

Enough. Eighty percent of our fleet lost in exchange for a single marginal planet. No progress on a way to contact the lost fleets. No new intelligence on this elusive cloaked Federation ship. No explanation of how or why a cube could be destroyed by a stable wormhole. Am I missing anything?

The Collective is, unusually, silent.

Queen

What is the current population of Trill?

Collective

Four hundred million drones, one hundred million unassimilated Trill.

Queen

Too many to evacuate, not enough to be worth protecting. Fine. Begin calculating a reinforcement plan.

Collective

Calculations begun.

Queen

The rest of the fleet will withdraw from Federation space. Let Janeway think she won. We'll find somewhere to rebuild and answer some of these questions, somewhere with a sizable population but without the means to effectively resist. All vessels, set a course... for the Romulan Star Empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, with this last brief installment, we come to the end of our pilot episode.
> 
> Where to next? Well, I do in fact have a full first season of episodes planned out, and the least I can do is share a handful of my favorites, which is to say, the ones with really good titles:
> 
>   * Next would be **"The Voiceless Trill"** , in which Lura must deal with the rather divided crew of the Resistance while also trying to save the survivors of the invasion of Trill.
>   * Then we have **"Klingon Logic"** , in which we meet Shuvak, a Klingon dissident who believes that only Vulcan philosophy can bring order to the fractious Klingon Empire.
>   * Later would be **"Pale Blue Dot"** , which I believe would be the first episode focusing almost entirely on Earth's civilians, as we see how they're handling the loss of contact with the rest of the Federation - and what the Starfleet leaders left on Earth are planning on doing with several million captured Borg drones cut off from the Collective.
>   * And then we have **"The Taming of the Q"** , in which Icheb makes contact with an old friend.
>   * At last, the season concludes with part one of **"The Klingon Farewell"** : the story of the attempted Borg-Romulan invasion of the Klingon Empire.
> 

> 
> If you're interested in my Star Trek opinions, check out my [extremely occasional tinyletter](https://tinyletter.com/flyingghoti). You can also follow me on Twitter at [@flying_ghoti](https://twitter.com/flying_ghoti), but I'm mostly avoiding Twitter for self-care reasons.
> 
> If you happen to be interested in city-building games, you should also look into [the Charm Cities Project](http://charmcities.net/), which I founded. We're trying to create a totally new kind of city-building game based on how cities — and, more importantly, the people in them — actually work.


End file.
